The Internet Movie Script Database (IMSDb)


The web's largest
movie script resource!

Search IMSDb

Alphabetical
# A B C D E F G H
I J K L M N O P Q
R S T U V W X Y Z

Genre
Action Adventure Animation
Comedy Crime Drama
Family Fantasy Film-Noir
Horror Musical Mystery
Romance Sci-Fi Short
Thriller War Western

Sponsor

TV Transcripts
Futurama
Seinfeld
South Park
Stargate SG-1
Lost
The 4400

International
French scripts

Latest Comments



ALL SCRIPTS




 
                                 TAKE SHELTER


                         

                                  Written by

                                 Jeff Nichols                        

                         

                         

                         
          Grove Hill Productions Release Edit Draft




          EXT. LAFORCHE HOME - DAY

          Sun spikes through the jostling leaves of a maple tree. A
          strong wind bends them back, showing their light green
          bellies.

          This is a modest house in a row of modest houses. Propane
          tanks and farmland at their backs show this neighborhood to
          be more rural than suburb.

          CURTIS LAFORCHE(35) stands in his driveway. His eyes, locked
          on the sky, narrow as he stares at...

          A STORM CELL stretching out on the horizon in front of him.
          It's a bruised sky filled with a vicious mixture of black and
          gray clouds. They swirl in and out of one another sending
          wispy tentacles toward the ground.

          Curtis stands, awestruck.

          The clouds move fast overhead. He looks up as they overtake
          his position. A light rain begins.

          The rain pats the ground. It makes soft indentions on his
          cotton shirt. He watches it hit the concrete, falling harder
          now. He notices something strange.

          The rain makes dark spots on the sidewalk. He pulls his
          shirt out and sees dark spots forming there. He holds his
          palm out flat in front of him. The rain pools.

          He rubs the water through his thumb and fingers. It's an
          amber color, viscous, like fresh motor oil.

          Curtis looks to the sky, the rain pelting his face now.
          Jagged, angry clouds blanketing overhead. The wind bends
          back the trunk of the maple tree.

          Curtis stands alone at the base of the surging STORM CELL.

          TITLE: TAKE SHELTER

                         

          INT. BATHROOM - DAY

          Curtis holds his head under the running shower nozzle. Cool,
          clean water rushes over his face.

                         

          INT. KITCHEN - DAY

          SAMANTHA(29) stands at the stovetop stirring eggs in a pan.
          She's still dressed in her sleeping attire, an oversized T-
          shirt and pajama bottoms with cartoon frogs on them.
          HANNAH(5) sits at the kitchen table tearing up a piece of
          toast and feeding it to the dog.

           2.

                         
          Hannah is a blonde little girl with a large hearing aid
          wrapped over her right ear. It clips into her hair near the
          back of her head. The dog's name is Red, a Rhodesian
          Ridgeback that appreciates the attention.
          Curtis enters the kitchen and kisses Hannah on the head. In
          the same motion, he takes the piece of toast from her hand
          and sets it on her plate.

                          CURTIS
           (takes a seat)
           No, no, no...Don't feed the dog
           darlin'.
          Hannah immediately picks the piece of toast back up and feeds
          it to the dog. Samantha brings the pan over and spoons eggs
          out on everyone's plates.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           Thanks babe.

                          SAMANTHA
           You slept late.

                          CURTIS
           Yeah. I need to go. What you got
           going today?

                          SAMANTHA
           I've got to finish up some curtains
           for Saturday, and Nat and Cam are
           coming over.

                          CURTIS

                          (MOUTH FULL)
           With the kids?

                          SAMANTHA
           Yeah. Cammie said she just needed
           to get out of the house.
          Samantha takes her seat at the table.

                          CURTIS
           Tell Nat to take it easy on her.
          Curtis gets up and goes to Hannah.

                          SAMANTHA
           Cam can hold her own. We need to
           send in the deposit for the beach
           condo.
          He kneels beside his daughter's chair and waits for her to
          make eye contact. She looks over at him. He speaks using
          sign language. Three broad, slow gestures.

           3.

                         

                          CURTIS

                          (SIGNING)
           I love you.
          Hannah puts her arms around his neck and he squeezes her. He
          stands and grabs a sack lunch off the counter. On his way
          out, he kisses Samantha on top of the head.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           Just write the check, babe. Okay.

                          SAMANTHA
           Okay. Bye.
          Samantha sips her coffee as Hannah feeds more toast to the
          dog.

                          SAMANTHA (CONT'D)
           (as she signs)
           No more food. You, eat.

                         

          EXT. LAFORCHE HOME - DAY

          Curtis shoulders his way out the front screen door. Keys in
          his mouth and sack lunch in his hand, he makes his way down
          the porch steps and onto the front walk.
          He pops open the chain-link gate and heads for the PICK-UP
          parked on the street. Clear blue sky overhead.

                         

          EXT. SOYBEAN FIELD - DAY

          Small soybean plants slouch in the noonday sun. A slight
          breeze picks up, jostling the leaves, but the sound is
          drowned out by a loud, mechanical rumbling.
          A spiral drill churns up dark soil as it digs deeper into the
          ground. Curtis, wearing work goggles, grabs hold of the
          drill's cabling system and yanks down.

                          CURTIS
           Yeah, let's keep going with that
           bit! It'll go another 10 feet!
          He yells to DEWART(36), a big guy sitting at the controls of
          a diesel powered WELL-DRILLING RIG. The truck has a long
          rusted bed with metal scaffolding raised HIGH on its back.

                          DEWART
           We won't get the gravel pack down
           today!

                          CURTIS
           Why not?!

           4.

                         

                          DEWART
           Those clouds! We're gonna have to
           call it!
          Curtis looks back to a potential STORM. Gray clouds forming
          across the horizon.

                          CURTIS
           Happy hour starts at five Dewart!

                          DEWART

                          (TO HIMSELF)
           Not if it's rainin'...Ready?

                          CURTIS
           Oh, yeah.

                         

          INT. LAFORCHE HOME - DAY

          Samantha sits at a table running a long piece of sheer fabric
          through her sewing machine. She's making curtains.
          NAT(37) sips a screwdriver from a clear plastic cup designed
          not to sweat. She's a woman with rough edges.
          CAMMIE(24) cradles a brown-haired BABY on top of her
          pregnant, eight month belly.
          As Nat speaks, she looks out a sliding glass door at her two
          kids, DJ(7) and SUE(5), playing with Hannah.

                          NAT
           They were just drinkin' and
           laughin' and oh, my god...it was
           like I was bein' in a museum and I
           saw the progress from apes to men.
           I saw it. I saw the future.
           Dewart, that was him...that was
           going to be him in 20 years.

                          SAMANTHA
           Oh my god.
          Cammie laughs.

                          NAT
           Let me tell you, you laugh. You
           laugh. But this little one in your
           arms is gonna be shufflin' in a bar
           just like `em. Yep...

                          (GLANCES OUTSIDE)
           Hannah!
          Samantha jumps up from her sewing to see outside. Hannah,
          with her back to the house, bangs a 2 X 4 with a rusted nail
          in the end into the ground. Samantha is out the door.

           5.

                         

          EXT. BACKYARD - CONTINUOUS

          Samantha walks briskly, talking to the other children.

                          SAMANTHA
           You guys okay?

                          SUE
           Yeah.
          Samantha takes a wide line around Hannah, who continues
          banging the two-by-four into the ground. As soon as the
          child sees her mother, she stops.
          Samantha crouches in front of Hannah, gently taking the board
          away from her. Samantha signs with her hand and speaks at
          the same time.

                          SAMANTHA
           No. Don't touch.
          Hannah tilts her head, looking off to the side. Samantha
          touches her chin bringing her eyes back around.

                          SAMANTHA (CONT'D)
           (signing and speaking)
           You understand?
          Hannah nods once, "yes".

                          SAMANTHA (CONT'D)
           Oksy. Come here.
          Samantha stands and takes the board to a trash pile in the
          back corner of the yard. A STORM SHELTER is buried in the
          ground just behind the pile. It's a grass covered mound with
          two rusted metal doors angled toward the sky.
          She throws the board onto the heap and wipes her hands on her
          pants. Staring at the pile, she lets out an irritated sigh.
          Thunder rumbles low in the distance. She looks up at the
          approaching clouds and calls to the children as she walks
          back inside.

                          SAMANTHA (CONT'D)
           Hey, DJ. Bring the girls inside.

                         

          EXT. SOYBEAN FIELD - DAY


          THUNDER STRIKE.
          The drill bit spins as rain pelts the ground turning the dark
          soil into black mud.

           6.

                         
          Curtis holds a rain slicker over his head. He watches as the
          hole they are drilling fills up with brown water. He lifts
          his boot, which makes a sucking sound as it dislodges from
          the mud.
          Looking at the horizon, he sees no sign of the storm letting
          up. He looks to Dewart, who smiles at him from behind the
          controls of the rig.

                          DEWART
           What? It's not my fault! I told
           you!

                          CURTIS
           Yeah. All right...All right! I'm
           callin' it! Shut it down!
          Dewart gladly eases back on the lever at his knee.

                         

          I/E. LAFORCHE HOME - LATE AFTERNOON
          Samantha holds the front door open as Nat and Cammie leave
          with their children packed up and in tow. It's raining
          pretty hard outside.

                          SAMANTHA
           Bye guys. Thanks for coming over.

                          NAT
           I'll call next week about the Lions
           Club supper.

                          SAMANTHA
           Okay. Love you.

                          CAMMIE
           Bye Sam.

                          SAMANTHA
           Bye Cam.
          Running for her car holding a jacket covered car seat.
          Samantha closes the door and listens to her quiet house. The
          rain outside is the only noise. She heads to the kitchen.

          IN THE KITCHEN,
          Hannah is sitting Indian-style at the glass doors watching
          the rain. Samantha walks over and kneels down behind her.
          She wraps her arms around Hannah, who lifts a hand to the
          glass.

                          SAMANTHA (CONT'D)
           Can you sign s-t-o-r-m?

           7.

                         
          Samantha puts her hand onto the glass next to Hannah's and
          signs "s-t-o-r-m". Hannah turns to see her mother's face,
          and Samantha uses both hands to make the signed symbol.
          Fingers, spread and bent, moved downward.

                          SAMANTHA (CONT'D)
           Storm.
          Hannah looks back out the window. They watch the storm
          together.

                         

          I/E. CURTIS' TRUCK/DEWART'S HOUSE - NIGHT
          The blue top of a small cooler is knocked to the floorboard
          as Dewart fishes the last Busch tallboy out of icy water. He
          cracks it open and takes an extended sip.
          Curtis, sitting behind the wheel of his truck, looks at his
          drunk friend.

                          CURTIS
           I gotta get home.

                          DEWART
           Nat and me been lookin' into a
           threesome. We've been chattin' with
           a girl online from Canton. Yeah.
           Big `ol girl.

                          CURTIS
           What's big?

                          DEWART
           She's about two fifty, two seventy
           five. She can't be no taller than
           5 foot.
          Dewart starts laughing, which makes Curtis laugh.

                          CURTIS
           Shit man.
          The laughing subsides.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           I don't see me and Sam gettin' into
           somethin' like that.

                          DEWART
           No. I don't guess you would.
          Dewart is staring at Curtis.

                          DEWART (CONT'D)
           You got a good life Curtis.

           8.

                         
          Curtis shrugs.

                          DEWART (CONT'D)
           I'm serious. I think that's the
           best compliment you can give a man,
           take a look at his life and say,
           that's good. That guy's doin'
           somethin' right.

                          CURTIS
           Well. It ain't always so easy.

                          DEWART
           Hell I know that.
          Dewart sees something out his window.

                          DEWART (CONT'D)
           Ah shit. I gotta go...Manana.

                          CURTIS
           Good night.
          Nat, in a house robe and slippers, weaves her way through the
          maze of junk on their front lawn.
          Dewart passes her without saying a word. Curtis watches as
          she follows him inside the house, still talking. He shifts
          into drive and pulls away.

                         

          INT. LAFORCHE HOME - NIGHT

          The lights are out and the house is quiet. Curtis eases open
          the front door and steps inside. Standing on the door mat,
          he slips off his mud-caked boots and gently sets them aside.

          AT HANNAH'S BEDROOM DOOR,
          Curtis places his palm flat on the door and lets it open.
          Hannah is curled up with the covers. He watches her sleep.
          Samantha, barefoot and wearing a sleep shirt, walks up behind
          Curtis. He turns his head when she approaches.

                          CURTIS

                          (SOFTLY)
           Hey baby.
          She wraps her arms around his waist and he lifts his elbow to
          make room for her. They whisper.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           She do all right today?

           9.

                         

                          SAMANTHA
           She was fine. She's still not
           playin' with the others, though.
           She can't connect. Honey, you
           gotta clean up that trash pile in
           the back. She fished out a board
           that had nails on it.

                          CURTIS
           I'll get to it this weekend.
          It's quiet for a moment.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           I still take off my boots so I
           won't wake her up.
          She smiles up at her husband.

                          SAMANTHA
           I still whisper.
          He pulls her tight. They stand together in the doorway. The
          house is silent.

                         

          EXT. LAFORCHE BACKYARD - DAY

          Curtis loads pieces from the trash pile into a wheelbarrow.
          He keeps an eye on Hannah as she jumps on a small, plastic
          playscape in the middle of the backyard.
          The dog, Red, paces by the back door. He's agitated, but his
          movement is limited by the length of rope tied from his
          collar to a nearby post. He barks.

          THUNDER STRIKES.
          Curtis flinches at the loud boom. He looks to the sky and
          sees dark clouds twisting overhead. Hannah plays, unaffected
          by the noise.
          To get a better view, Curtis moves from beneath a tree in the
          corner of the yard and surveys the large swath of farmland
          that runs up to his property.
          Chain-link fencing partitions the yard from a deep concrete
          culvert that leads out to the open field.
          A giant STORM CELL gathers force on the horizon there.
          Red barks incessantly. He winces and strains against the
          rope tied to his collar.
          Curtis flinches again as A BOLT OF LIGHTNING streaks to the
          ground in the distance. Sparks shoot into the air leaving a
          circle of scorched crops. Another CRACK of thunder.

           10.

                         
          A light rain begins. Red snaps his head around and bucks
          into the air. He gnashes at the rope.
          Curtis collects Hannah off the playscape and turns back to
          the approaching STORM CELL. He holds up his hand and studies
          the falling rain. It's the thick, amber colored liquid.
          With Hannah in his arms, Curtis watches, awestruck, as wispy
          tentacles drip to the ground forming a collection of THREE
          TORNADOS out in the field.
          Behind them, Red's teeth fray the rope at his collar. He
          thrashes his head, the rope SNAPS, and the dog flies toward
          Curtis and Hannah.
          Curtis turns to see Red charging them. He barely has time to
          set Hannah down before Red catches him by the forearm.
          They crash to the ground, tangled together. Rain coming down
          hard now.
          Curtis yells and waves Hannah back. Red, snapping, buries
          his teeth into the muscles in Curtis' arm. Blood streams
          from the wound.
          Curtis screams in pain.

                         

          INT. BEDROOM - DAY

          Curtis bolts up in bed grabbing his forearm. He grinds his
          teeth and doubles over in pain. It takes a moment for him to
          find his bearings.
          His breathing slows. He gently rubs his hand over the skin
          on his arm. Sweat has collected around his collar and
          temples.
          From the bed, sheets in a twisted mess, he looks around the
          room unsure of what just happened to him.

                         

          INT. KITCHEN - DAY

          Eggs cool on a plate.
          Curtis sits at the kitchen table dressed for work. He stares
          vacantly at his breakfast.
          He looks up at Hannah. She sits on the floor surrounded by
          toy building blocks and plays with the dog. She rubs under
          Red's chest and in turn he licks her face. She smiles and
          gently pushes him away.
          Samantha sits with her knees up drinking coffee.

           11.

                         

                          SAMANTHA
           Curtis?

                          CURTIS
           What?

                          SAMANTHA
           Did you hear me? You got to be
           home, showered, ready to walk out
           the door by six tonight.
          Curtis stands up and goes over to Hannah. He grabs her off
          the floor and she begins to protest with kicks and crying.

                          SAMANTHA (CONT'D)
           What's wrong?

                          CURTIS
           Nothing. I just want her to eat her
           breakfast and stop playin' with the
           damn dog.

                          SAMANTHA
           She's fine down there. She had
           toast already.
          Curtis, against flailing, manages to get Hannah in her chair.
          Curtis backs off, frustrated. Hannah climbs down from her
          chair and goes back to the floor and the dog.

                          CURTIS
           Hannah. Come here. Hannah.

                          SAMANTHA
           Curtis?

                          CURTIS
           What?
          He stops and checks his watch.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           I'm late.

                          SAMANTHA
           You didn't eat anything?
          Heading out.

                          CURTIS
           It's okay.
          Curtis is gone. Samantha looks at Hannah on the floor with
          the dog.

           12.

                         

          INT. DELTA AGRI-PRO MAIN OFFICE - DAY

          The main headquarters of Delta Agri-Pro is housed in a giant
          metal building. A row of cheaply built, 70's style offices
          with drop tile ceilings line the left of a large warehouse
          that contains all manner of agricultural and construction
          equipment. Tractors, backhoes, welding rigs, etc.
          A GROUP OF MEN, many of which were represented at Gator's bar
          yesterday, sit in folding chairs or stand in a semi-circle
          around JIM THOMPSON(53). He speaks, clipboard in hand.

                          JIM
           I didn't say you had control over
           the weather Russell, what I did say
           was that the top shelf has to be
           cleared by the 15th. That's non-
           negotiable.
          Dewart eats from a bag of Sunflower seeds. Curtis stares
          down at his forearm. He rubs the skin there. Jim runs a
          finger down his clipboard.

                          JIM (CONT'D)
           Umm, Curtis. Where we at on that
           east 82nd site?
          Curtis snaps his head up, takes a second.

                          CURTIS
           Yesterday slowed us down. We
           couldn't get the second pilot hole
           drilled.
          Jim drops his head and the clipboard falls to his side. A
          melodramatic move.

                          JIM
           It rained for two hours yesterday.
           Two hours and our entire schedule
           went in the toilet. We lose the
           permit if you're not out of there
           by end of day.

                          CURTIS
           Yes sir.

                          JIM
           End of day Curtis.
          Curtis nods.

                          JIM (CONT'D)
           All right. Valerie tells me that
           the father son pancake cook off...

           13.

                         

          EXT. DELTA AGRI-PRO MAIN OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

          Curtis and Dewart walk to Curtis' truck.

                          CURTIS
           Hey, I gotta make a stop before we
           head out there.

                          DEWART
           Think we got time?

                          CURTIS
           Yeah. There's time.

                         

          INT. HOME DEPOT - DAY

          Dewart stands by a flatbed cart with a prefab DOGHOUSE
          sitting on it.
          Curtis loads chain-link fencing materials onto the cart.

                         

          EXT. SOYBEAN FIELD - DAY

          The wheels of the well-drilling rig are half sunk into the
          muddy soil.
          Curtis stands over the hole being drilled. The turning metal
          pole suddenly seizes up and stops. Smoke begins to seep up
          from the hole.

                          CURTIS
           Sonofabitch.
          Dewart jumps down from the control panel to take a look.

                          DEWART
           We stripped that bit.

                          CURTIS
           Yeah. Well, bring it up. We gotta
           re-set it.
          Dewart walks back to his controls. Curtis heads to the cab
          of the drilling rig and checks his watch.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           Shit.
          Something catches his eye in the distance. Clearing past the
          rig, he walks out into the adjacent field.
          He removes his goggles, eyes fixed on the acres of farmland
          that stretch for miles in front of him.
          In the sky overhead,

           14.

                         

          AN ENORMOUS FLOCK OF BIRDS ROLL IN UNISON.
          Hundreds of them make up a black swarm that twists and shifts
          in the air. They dive bomb then ascend in intricate,
          GEOMETRIC patterns.
          Curtis watches, mesmerized.
          Dewart strains a wrench against a bolt as the drill screeches
          in reverse.

                          DEWART
           Curtis!
          Curtis acknowledges Dewart but can't take his eyes off the
          pattern of birds. They shrink and stretch from thick clumps
          to long cylindrical tubes. A choreography.
          Curtis reluctantly heads back to the rig, which is shrieking
          with the SOUND of metal on metal.

                          CURTIS
           You ever see birds fly like that?!

                          DEWART
           (holding his hand to his

                          EAR)
           What?!
          Curtis looks back, giving the birds a final review.

                         

          I/E. CURTIS' TRUCK/HOUSE - EVENING
          The sun has just set adding a purple hue to the sky. Curtis
          steers his truck up to the front curb of his house.

          THROUGH HIS WINDSHIELD,
          He sees Samantha standing by her car, the back door open.
          She watches him pull up. Hannah is already packed into her
          car seat.

                          CURTIS

                          (TO HIMSELF)
           Shit.

          PARKED,
          Curtis climbs out and walks to the driveway.

                          SAMANTHA
           Come on we gotta go.

                          CURTIS
           Ah, Jesus. I could really use a
           shower.

           15.

                         
          Samantha isn't having it. She climbs in the passenger seat.
          Curtis makes his way to her car.

                         

          INT. SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSROOM - NIGHT

          Curtis' work boots are encased in dry mud. Chunks have
          broken off and pepper the thin blue industrial carpet. His
          mud-stained fingers tap on the top of a desk. Dirt caked
          under his nails.

           TEACHER (O.S.)
           So if you continue with the basic
           vocabulary, this will allow you to
           communicate with your children
           better.
          Curtis sits, filthy, at a school desk he doesn't quite fit
          into. A TEACHER speaks to a ROOM FULL of PARENTS.

                          TEACHER (CONT'D)
           Between the ages of four and seven
           the focus is more on the sign and
           then later we'll begin adding the
           alphabet as more of a support
           syster. Now in ASL...
          Curtis looks over at Samantha, who is sitting in the desk
          next to him. She won't look at him.
          He cranes his neck around to see toward the back of the room.
          An ASSISTANT TEACHER sits on a large, colorful rug with a
          GROUP of CHILDREN, all different ages, playing games that
          teach hand signs. Hannah actively participates in the group.

                          TEACHER (CONT'D)
           ...the male sign is signed at the
           forehead area. For example, father
           is signed up here like
           this...Father, very good.
          Curtis turns back in his chair and makes the sign for "dad"
          along with the other parents.

                         

          INT. SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSROOM - NIGHT - LATER

          Curtis, Samantha, and Hannah sit on the floor in a circle
          atop the colored rug.
          Samantha turns over large flashcards with illustrated scenes
          on them. They take turns making the corresponding sign.
          Curtis stares at Samantha, but she's still giving him the
          cold shoulder. Finally, while holding up a card, she looks
          at him. He signs, "I'm sorry". A fist moving in a circular
          motion at his chest.

           16.

                         

                          SAMANTHA
           You're not sorry.

                          CURTIS
           I am sorry.
          She looks to Hannah and signs, "swim".

                          SAMANTHA
           Well, you stink. You smell really
           bad.
          He smiles.

                          CURTIS
           I think I smell good.
          She smiles, begrudgingly, and then signs to Hannah, "Dad" and
          "stink". Curtis turns to some ladies behind him.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           Do I smell good?
          Samantha laughs and tries to cover his mouth with her hand.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           See. Maybe I should marry her
           instead.
          They continue to laugh.

                          SAMANTHA
           Stop.

                         

          INT. CURTIS' TRUCK - DAY

          Curtis slams the door to his truck, sealing him off from the
          torrential rainfall outside.
          He shakes water off, wipes his face. The windows are smeared
          by thick, dark rain. It's hard to see out.
          He looks over to Hannah sitting in her car seat. It looks
          odd on the front bench of the truck. He signs to her.

                          CURTIS
           (signing and speaking)
           You okay?
          She nods. He cranks the truck and turns on the wipers. The
          liquid on the windshield streaks into long smudges. Curtis
          leans forward to get a better view of the street. He checks
          his blind spot and pulls away.

          MOVING FAST ON A MAIN ROAD,

           17.

                         
          Stop lights blur into hazy red and green spheres.
          Curtis checks the rearview, but the back window is covered by
          the rain. He tries rolling down his window, but water blows
          in. He rolls it back up and the smudging gets worse.
          The truck shimmies from left to right, pushed by the wind. A
          THUNDER STRIKE rattles.
          Suddenly,

          THE SHAPE OF A PERSON STANDING IN THE ROAD.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)

           SHIT!
          Curtis stomps on the brakes and turns the wheel. The truck
          hydroplanes.
          CRASH! Curtis' head busts against the steering column. The
          front windshield cracks as the truck jerks to a stop.
          The HISS of a broken radiator. Curtis winces from the blow
          to his head. Hannah is crying. He reaches over to her.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           Are you okay?
          Hannah physically looks all right, but she continues crying.
          Curtis reaches out and places a hand on her head. He's
          dazed, mumbling.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           You're okay.
          The truck is angled up slightly like the front end has inched
          up a pole. A cut on his forehead has begun to bleed.
          He sees movement. A PERSON passes by the hazy side window.
          A SHAPE moves past the driver's window.
          The truck shifts as weight is added to the bed. The SOUND of
          SOMEONE pulling things from the back of the truck. A moment.
          WHACK! Curtis flinches as a 2X4 pounds the windshield.
          The truck jostles from the weight of someone jumping on the
          hood.
          Bump. Bump.
          The roof caves in with two FOOTSTEPS.
          Curtis looks around frantically. He reaches over to Hannah
          and begins to unstrap her from the car seat.

           18.

                         
          SMASH! A BOARD breaks through the Passenger Window.
          A WOMAN, pale and aggressive, stands in the rain storm
          staring through the broken glass. She reaches for the lock.
          Curtis pulls Hannah from the child seat and recoils against
          his door but is jolted as another board CRASHES through the
          driver's window.
          A HAND yanks Curtis by his collar. He's pulled against the
          door. A pasty forearm wraps around his neck, choking him.
          He strains against the arm. Sucks air. Needing to breath.
          The Woman at the passenger door grabs for Hannah. Curtis
          kicks at her.
          A MAN's boot KICKS OUT the back window. The Man in the bed
          of the truck reaches for Curtis' face. He flails and kicks,
          unable to break free from the forearm at his door.
          The Woman gets hold of Hannah. The child is yanked from
          Curtis' arms. He screams.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           Hannah! Hannah!
          Hands claw at Curtis' face. Scratching. Blood streaks. The
          Woman has disappeared into the storm with Hannah.
          Curtis screams. Fingers swoop into his open mouth, grabbing
          hold of his cheek. They pull the cheek back. TEARING.
          He yells in pain.

                         

          INT. HALLWAY/KITCHEN - DAY

          Samantha walks down the hallway holding Hannah's shoes.
          Hannah trails behind her.

                          SAMANTHA
           Here honey. Put on your shoes

          IN THE KITCHEN,
          Samantha walks in. Curtis is standing at the counter in his
          undershirt and boxers pouring a cup of coffee.

                          SAMANTHA (CONT'D)
           Good, you're up.
          Curtis doesn't turn to greet her. He just stirs a spoon in
          the black coffee.
          Samantha walks up to him and puts a hand on his back. She
          notices that his shirt is soaked with sweat.

           19.

                         

                          SAMANTHA (CONT'D)
           Honey, you're soaked.
          He turns, taking a sip from the mug. She feels his forehead.

                          SAMANTHA (CONT'D)
           Are you sick?

                          CURTIS
           I've felt better.

                          SAMANTHA
           I guess we could stay home if we
           need to.

                          CURTIS
           Where you goin'?

                          SAMANTHA
           It's Saturday, I was going to take
           Hannah to my booth.

                          CURTIS
           Oh. Yeah.
          Curtis walks to the table and takes a seat.

                          SAMANTHA
           You look really sick honey.

                          CURTIS
           I'm all right. It's just a cold or
           somethin'.

                          SAMANTHA
           Let me get you some Advil.
          She heads for the hallway.

                          CURTIS
           No. Don't worry about it. Ya'll
           just go. I'll be fine.

                          SAMANTHA
           You sure?

                          CURTIS
           Yeah.
           (holds up the mug)
           Better already.
          Samantha walks to her purse on the counter and roots through
          to find a set of keys.

           20.

                         

                          SAMANTHA
           Okay. I got my phone if you need
           anything. Don't forget Sunday
           lunch is here tomorrow.
          This reminder makes Curtis rub his face with a grunt.

                          SAMANTHA (CONT'D)
           If you're sick, we should cancel.

                          CURTIS
           I'll be all right.

                          SAMANTHA
           Okay, we'll talk later.
          She heads for the door with Hannah.

                          SAMANTHA (CONT'D)
           Come on. Let's go.

                          (TO CURTIS)
           You sure?

                          CURTIS
           Honey, please.

                          SAMANTHA
           Okay.
          Samantha scoops up her bag and takes Hannah by the hand. They
          leave the room.
          Curtis notices the dog, Red, sitting on his haunches looking
          at him. Curtis stares back, sipping his coffee.

                         

          EXT. LAFORCHE BACKYARD - DAY

          The reverse lights shine as Curtis' pick-up rumbles backward.
          Curtis eyes the side mirror as he maneuvers the truck into
          his backyard. In the mirror, the trash pile comes into view.
          Just behind it, the STORM SHELTER doors appear.
          The truck shutters to a stop. Curtis studies the Shelter in
          the side mirror for a moment. A grassy bulge with angled
          metal doors peeking over the trash heap. He climbs out.
          A blue tarp is pulled from the bed of the truck, floating
          down to the yard.
          Curtis slips on a pair of work gloves and continues to eye
          the Storm Shelter. He yanks a bale of chain-link from the
          bed of the truck and carries it to the back corner of the
          yard. He steals another glance back toward the Shelter.

           21.

                         
          Dropping the bale, he sizes up the space. He looks to the
          sky. It's a beautiful day.
          He begins counting off steps from the back fence line.

                         

          INT. FLEA MARKET - SERIES OF IMAGES - DAY

          -A linen sheet floats down over a folding table.
          -The hanging bag is placed on a portable clothes rod.
          -Hands place an assortment of home sewn crafts like napkins
          and embroidered pillows out onto the table.
          -A tackle box is opened revealing a tray of small bills and
          change. A calculator is removed.
          Hannah kneels in front of a folding chair behind their BOOTH
          at an open-air flea market. She uses the seat of the chair
          as a table for a tiny porcelain tea set.
          Samantha stands over her display table smiling and nodding at
          perusing CUSTOMERS.

                         

          EXT. LAFORCHE BACKYARD - SERIES OF IMAGES - DAY

          -A mallet drives tall metal stakes into the ground.
          -The cord holding together the bale of chain-link is snipped
          and a boot rolls the fencing out flat.
          -Chain-link is attached to the stakes with a number of metal
          braids.
          -The prefab DOGHOUSE is set down in the back corner.
          Curtis stands in front of his newly created dog pen. It's
          waist high and about 7' X 10', tucked in the back left corner
          of the yard so that half of the pen is made up by the
          existing fencing.

                         

          INT. FLEA MARKET - DAY

          Samantha turns to see a large woman holding up an intricately
          embroidered pillow.
          You can tell by the look of her that she's a flea market pro,
          a BARGAIN HUNTER(54).

                          BARGAIN HUNTER
           How much you asking for this
           pillow?

           22.

                         

                          SAMANTHA
           This pillow's fifteen dollars.

                          BARGAIN HUNTER
           That's more than I want to spend.

                          SAMANTHA
           This is all hand stitched. It takes
           a really long time. That's why I
           charge that.

                          BARGAIN HUNTER
           I'll give you seven for it.
          Samantha looks at the woman, who is almost daring her.

                          SAMANTHA
           I can't go that low.

                          BARGAIN HUNTER
           Well that's my offer.
          The woman sets down the pillow and begins looking over other
          items on the table. Samantha bites the inside of her cheek.
          She doesn't like to haggle.

                          SAMANTHA
           How about 10?
          The woman doesn't look up.

                          BARGAIN HUNTER
           I'll give you eight, but it's in
           change.
          Samantha forces a smile and motions to Hannah.

                          SAMANTHA
           That's fine.
          The woman smiles and removes a Ziplock bag of assorted coins
          from her purse. Hannah takes the bag.

                          SAMANTHA (CONT'D)
           Lucky for you she likes to count
           change.
          Hannah opens the bag and begins to turn it over.

                         

          EXT. LAFORCHE BACKYARD - DAY - LATER

          Curtis unlatches a piece of the braided wire holding a
          separated section of fencing that acts like a gate.

                          CURTIS
           Red! Come on.

           23.

                         
          He opens it and looks down at Red, who sits at his feet. He
          speaks gently to the dog.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           Get in.
          Red walks into the pen.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           Good boy.
          Curtis closes the gate, kneels and places his hands on the
          fence. Red approaches so that his nose is touching Curtis'
          fingers. Curtis scratches him.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           I'm sorry about this buddy. We
           just gotta work it like this for
           awhile okay?
          Curtis stands, wiping his hands off on his jeans. He sees
          the Storm Shelter poking up from behind the trash pile. He
          looks down at Red.
          Curtis walks to the Shelter. Clearing past the trash pile,
          the shelter appears, the mound fully visible.
          Curtis stops at the angled doors. He studies them. A rusted
          padlock is snapped shut across the handles. He reaches out
          and lifts up the padlock. He yanks on it, then lets it fall.

                         

          INT. KITCHEN - DAY

          Coins splash across the kitchen counter. Curtis sets an
          empty coffee can back on the shelf in front of him and begins
          sifting through the change.
          Odd screws, buttons, then he gets to what he's looking for.
          A small set of brass keys on a matching ring. He grabs the
          keys from the pile and exits.

                         

          EXT. LAFORCHE BACKYARD - CONTINUOUS

          Curtis walks back out to the storm shelter, keys in hand,
          long flashlight in his back pocket.
          He pulls up the padlock that holds the two rusted doors
          together. Popping off the rubber cover, he tries a key. The
          lock pops up. He unhooks it from the doors and lets it fall
          to the ground.
          Curtis strains to pull the first door open. It's heavy and
          sticks from lack of use. Finally, with a creak, the door
          swings back.

           24.

                         
          Curtis holds his head to the side, a musty odor coming from
          inside. He forces the second door open.
          Curtis stands in front of the shelter, a gaping black hole
          angled up from the earth.
          He takes the flashlight from his pocket and turns it on. It
          illuminates concrete steps leading down.
          The dog, nose at the fence, watches from his pen on the other
          side of the yard.
          Curtis enters the shelter.

                         

          INT. STORM SHELTER - CONTINUOUS

          It's pitch black inside. Curtis makes his way down the steps
          and holds out the flashlight. An assortment of trash on the
          ground, empty cans and water bottles, some candy wrappers.
          The whole shelter is only about 6' X 8'. His head fits fine,
          but he still ducks like he might bump it.
          He shines the light on the back wall. A rotted, wooden bench
          is bolted into the concrete there. Curtis walks to it and
          takes a seat.
          He's looking back toward the steps now. A shaft of light
          cuts a strict beam through the open doors, lighting only the
          concrete entry.
          Curtis takes in the quiet of the concrete box. He leans his
          head back on the wall and closes his eyes.
          He shuts off his flashlight. Left in the dark, he takes a
          deep breath. Exhales slowly.

                         

          INT. DEN - NIGHT


                          NEWS ANCHOR

                          (ON TELEVISION)
           While rescue workers made several
           attempts to reach the family,
           Walter Jacobs wife...
          Curtis sits in his Lazyboy bent over a frozen dinner. He
          watches the local news on TV. Samantha walks in with a glass
          of milk and some Oreos, a magazine tucked under her arm.

                         

          INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT

          Samantha takes a TIN down from the top of the fridge. It has
          designs of starfish and other ocean creatures on it.

           25.

                         
          She sets the tin on the counter next to the tackle box she
          uses as a cash register and yells to Curtis in the den.

                          SAMANTHA
           But that's what I don't understand.
           If he didn't do anything why did
           you put him out back?
          Samantha counts out the money earned at the flea market. She
          sets a portion aside and closes the tackle box. Curtis says
          something, but it's inaudible.

                          SAMANTHA (CONT'D)
           What?
          She opens the tin and removes an envelope with the word
          "BEACH" written on it in black sharpie. Samantha adds the
          money to the envelope and puts up the jar. She opens the
          fridge and takes out the milk.

                         

                         

                          SAMANTHA (CONT'D)
           You hear me? I said if he didn't
           do anything why did you have to put
           him outside?
          Curtis' attention is on the TV. Samantha sits on the couch.

                          CURTIS
           I just wanted him to be outside for
           awhile.

                          SAMANTHA
           He's your dog. He's always been an
           inside dog.

                          CURTIS
           He's my dog, and that's why he's
           outside. Right now with Hannah and
           everything I just think it'd be
           better.

                          SAMANTHA
           Hannah loves Red.

                          CURTIS
           Hold on.
          Curtis stares at the television program. Samantha's eyes
          narrow. Frustrated, she flips open her magazine.

                          NEWS ANCHOR
           ...the gas cloud spread across
           their six acre property.

                          (MORE)

           26.

                         

           NEWS ANCHOR (CONT'D)
           The only way off their land was
           across the train tracks which were
           blocked by wreckage.

                          WALTER JACOBS
           (from a hospital bed)
           I tried using some wet rags and
           towels to breathe through but that
           just seemed to make it worse.

                          NEWS ANCHOR
           While rescue workers made several
           attempts to reach the family,
           Walter Jacobs' wife and brother-in-
           law died in the home. Jacobs
           survived despite enduring eleven
           hours of exposure to the gas cloud
           before finally being flown out by
           helicopter.

                          CURTIS
           You hearin' this?
          Her nose still in the magazine.

                          SAMANTHA
           It's awful.

                          CURTIS
           Eleven hours. No way out.
          Samantha shakes her head. Curtis watches the footage of
          Walter Jacobs. He watches his red rimmed eyes. The deep
          lines in his face.

                         

          INT. LAFORCHE HOME - DAY

          It's daytime, but the house feels dark from the storm blowing
          outside. The SOUND of rain pelts the windows and roof.
          Curtis, dressed for work, walks from his bedroom down the
          hallway. He passes the den and stops at its entryway.

          IN THE DEN,
          Hannah sits on the couch with her back to him. She's on her
          knees looking out one of the front windows.
          A dull orange glow halos from the bank of windows. What
          sunlight there is appears diffused by the dark, thick rain
          smearing down the outside of the glass.

          A THUNDER STRIKE.

           27.

                         
          Curtis flinches. He shows concern as heavier rain begins
          battering the house. The wind picks up making wood beams
          creak on their foundation.

                          CURTIS
           Hannah.
          Hannah doesn't move. She continues staring out the window.
          The SOUND of the storm outside intensifies. Windows begin to
          rattle in their frames.
          Curtis walks over and reaches for Hannah but is startled by
          the sight of a MAN'S FACE just outside the window. Hannah
          and the Man have been staring at one another.
          The Man, hollow eyed and pale, moves out of the window and
          out of sight.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           Hey!
          Thunder CRACKS overhead. Curtis scoops Hannah into his arms
          and heads out of the room.
          BANG. The front door rattles. Curtis stops and turns back.
          BANG. BANG. The SOUND of someone kicking at the front door.
          The storm outside has grown to a deafening pitch.
          The power goes out.
          The entire house vibrates, like a freight train running
          across the roof. The BANGING at the front door continues,
          frame giving way, as the STORM reaches its apex.
          Curtis, holding Hannah, kneels and braces himself in the
          entryway to the den. He covers the back of Hannah's head
          with his hands and squeezes her tight into his shoulder.
          Then Silence. A stillness.
          The rain stops. No more banging at the front door. The SUN
          moves brightly though the front windows.

          WOOSH.
          The furniture in the den lifts off the ground. A couch,
          Lazyboy, coffee table and lamp. It all hangs in the air,
          floating for a moment. Quietly.
          Curtis watches, eyes wide. A rumbling. Grows. The SUNLIGHT
          vanishes.
          SMASH! The sound of the storm is sucked back into the room as
          the furniture crashes to the floor, breaking apart on impact.

           28.

                         
          The windows BLOW OUT.
          Curtis squeezes his eyes shut and pivots his body, trying to
          protect Hannah. Shards of glass splinter across his face.

                         

          INT. BEDROOM - DAY

          Curtis gasps for air. It doesn't come.
          Gasp. He's sucking for a breath. Hyperventilating.
          He rises up in bed, gasping. His face flushed and head
          soaked in sweat. His eyes dart around the room, frantically
          searching his surroundings.
          One more gasp, and air enters his lungs. He coughs. More
          air. Long, deep breaths. He's calming down.
          His breathing comes under control. His attention turns to
          something else. Something under the sheets.
          Curtis pulls back the bed sheets. The mattress is soaked in
          YELLOW urine. This scares him.
          His hand trembles as he reaches out to touch his wet boxers.
          The toilet FLUSHES. Footsteps in heels.
          Curtis quickly pulls the covers back up. Samantha enters the
          bedroom. She pulls her hair into a tight ponytail and picks
          earrings off a nearby dresser, her back to Curtis.

                          CURTIS
           Babe?

                          SAMANTHA
           Yeah?

                          CURTIS
           You got the number for Dr. Shannan?
          She turns.

                          SAMANTHA
           You're still not feeling good?

                          CURTIS
           Yeah, but you got the number?

                          SAMANTHA
           Uh, yeah baby but he'll be closed
           today.
          She approaches the bed and he holds his hand out.

           29.

                         

                          CURTIS
           Right. Yeah. I'll call tomorrow.

                          SAMANTHA
           Honey if you're not feeling good we
           take you in somewhere.
          She walks closer to the bed.

                          CURTIS
           No. Stop!
          She's taken aback.

                          SAMANTHA
           Okay. Do you want me to cancel
           lunch today...

                          CURTIS
           Shit...

                          SAMANTHA
           What is that?

                          CURTIS
           I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It's just I
           got a sore throat. I'm sorry I'm
           taking it out on you.

                          SAMANTHA
           I was gonna leave Hannah with you
           so I could go to church, but I'm
           not going to with you like this.

                          CURTIS
           It's fine. I'll be fine.

                          SAMANTHA
           No. She needs breakfast.

                          CURTIS

                          (STERN)
           I've got it.

                          SAMANTHA
           I'm sorry that you feel bad but you
           need to drop the attitude.

                          CURTIS
           Come on. Just go.

                          SAMANTHA
           What's wrong with you?

                          CURTIS
           I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Just go.

           30.

                         

                          SAMANTHA
           Hannah's in the den. We have
           cereal for her.
          Samantha stomps out of the room. Curtis sighs. He halfway
          lifts the sheet then lets it fall again.

                         

          INT. BEDROOM - LATER

          Curtis strips the sheets off the bed.

                         

          INT. HALLWAY - DAY

          The laundry room is a stackable set squeezed into a closet
          off the hallway.
          Curtis loads the sheets into the washer and presses start.
          Watching the clothes spin, a thought.

                         

          INT. DEN - DAY

          Curtis pushes Hannah's shoe onto her foot. He stops with the
          shoes to concentrate. He moves his index finger from one
          shoulder to the other and speaks.

                          CURTIS
           We're going out.
          Confused, she slices her finger down an open palm.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           (with open palms)
           We're going out. Okay? It's okay.

                         

          EXT. GRAFTON PUBLIC LIBRARY - DAY

          Curtis leads Hannah up the front walk of the Grafton Public
          Library. It's a one-story brick building with 1960's
          architecture. The parking lot is nearly empty behind them.

                         

          INT. GRAFTON PUBLIC LIBRARY - CONTINUOUS

          Curtis holds the glass front door open for Hannah. They stop
          in the entryway and survey the LIBRARY.
          There are only a few people, one of which is the LIBRARIAN
          sitting behind a central desk. It is an open room with
          cinder block walls painted in brightly colored shapes.

           31.

                         
          Curtis finds the children's section to the left and leads
          Hannah over. She takes a seat at a kid's size table as
          Curtis grabs a Dinosaur book from a nearby display.
          Kneeling in front of her, Curtis shows her the book and
          motions with open hands to the ground.

                          CURTIS
           You stay put okay?
          Hannah begins looking through the book. Curtis stands, he
          sees a set of computers under a sign reading, "CATALOGUE".

          AT THE COMPUTERS,
          Curtis takes a seat in front of one of the two computers set
          up on a folding table. He eyes the search screen. Title,
          Author, Subject.
          He clicks on "Subject" and types the word "DREAMS". He
          scrolls through a list of titles and writes down a number.
          He looks back for Hannah. She's still flipping through her
          book. No one else is around.
          He begins another search. He types "MENTAL ILLNESS".

          AT THE BOOK SHELVES,
          Curtis scans the spines looking for his title. He already
          holds two books against his chest.
          He pulls out a thick hard cover book. The title reads,
          "Understanding Mental Illness."

                         

          I/E. CURTIS' TRUCK/GRAFTON STREETS - MOVING - DAY
          Hannah is once again strapped into her car seat. She holds a
          big children's book in her hands.
          They pass a Grocery Store. Curtis turns as it goes by.
          The truck pulls a U-turn in the street and heads for the
          store parking lot.

                         

          INT. GROCERY STORE - DAY

          Curtis pushes a cart down the aisle. Hannah rides in the
          fold down metal seat.
          They stop at the bottled water section. Curtis loads several
          plastic, gallon jugs of water into his cart.
          The cart is filled with an assortment of supplies:
          Batteries, canned food, first aid supplies, matches.

           32.

                         

          INT. LAFORCHE HOME/DINING ROOM - DAY

          Samantha sits in the dining room at a fully dressed table.
          Steam rises off bowls of mashed potatoes and green beans.
          Fried chicken piled on a platter.
          MELVIN(58) taps his finger on the empty plate in front of him
          and subtly checks his watch. JANINE(57) smooths out the
          embroidered table cloth.
          KATHRYN(37) and CHARLIE(39) tend to their child, REX(3). Rex
          repeatedly jams a finger into the potatoes.

                          SAMANTHA
           Let's just start.

                          MELVIN
           Let's all join hands for the
           blessing.
          The SOUND of the front door opening. Samantha gets up and
          leaves the room.

          BY THE FRONT DOOR,
          Curtis has Hannah in his arms. He closes the door. Samantha
          appears behind them. She speaks in a hushed, angry voice.

                          SAMANTHA
           Where the hell have you been?

                          CURTIS
           I know. I'm sorry. I had to run an
           errand.

                          SAMANTHA
           You're really late.

                          CURTIS
           I know.

                          SAMANTHA
           You didn't even bring your cell
           phone.
          Samantha heads back to the dining room. Curtis sucks his
          teeth.

                         

          INT. LAFORCHE HOME/DINING ROOM - LATER

          Potatoes dalloped, chicken passed, the table is active with
          the family serving and eating. Curtis watches it all,
          somehow separated from it. He's exhausted.

           33.

                         

                          MELVIN
           Missed you at church this mornin'
           Curtis.

                          SAMANTHA
           Dad.

                          MELVIN
           He knows what to do if he wants me
           to stop askin'.
          Curtis looks at him.

                          CURTIS
           Was it a good service?

                          MELVIN
           It was. It was good work.
          Curtis nods. The family in front of him eats the meal.

                          CURTIS
           I'm thinking about cleaning up that
           storm shelter out back.
          They look at him.

                         

          INT. LAFORCHE HOME/HALLWAY - EVENING

          Light from the open closet door cuts a shape in the
          relatively dark hallway.
          Curtis roots through the back of the closet.

                         

          INT. STORM SHELTER - SERIES OF IMAGES - NIGHT

          -Curtis sweeps the concrete floor of the storm shelter. A
          Coleman camping lantern sits on the wooden bench attached to
          the back wall. It casts an odd light up into the room.
          -Curtis places cans of food onto metal shelves.
          -Curtis flips through keys on his key ring. He adds the two
          small padlock keys to the ring.

                         

          INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

          Samantha sits on the bed in her pajamas applying lotion to
          her legs. She wipes the remainder on her knuckles and looks
          at the empty spot on Curtis' side of the bed.

           34.

                         

          INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS

          Samantha walks into the kitchen and turns off the overhead
          light. She pauses, seeing something in the backyard.
          She stops at the back door and stares out at the storm
          shelter. The camp lantern's orange light glows through the
          open metal doors.
          She watches for a moment.

                         

          INT. STORM SHELTER - CONTINUOUS

          The shelter has been cleaned up. The metal shelves hold
          canned food, water jugs and first aid supplies. Blankets and
          pillows are stacked on the other side of the room.
          Curtis sits in the back corner of the shelter on the wooden
          bench. He flips through one of the books from the library.
          The cover reads, "DREAM ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION". The
          book on mental illness sits by his feet.

                         

          INT. DOCTOR'S OFFICE/RECEPTION AREA - DAY

          The Doctor's Office is a converted one-story residential
          house. Curtis slouches in a faux leather chair grouped in
          the small reception area. He has nodded off.
          His head snaps up. He sucks air through his nose and sits up
          in his chair. He sees a WOMAN(25) reading a children's book
          aloud to her DAUGHTER(3) on a colorful rug in the corner.
          A door opens and a NURSE with a clipboard steps out.

                          NURSE
           Curtis?
          Curtis stands and follows the nurse out of the room.

                         

          INT. DOCTOR'S OFFICE/EXAM ROOM - DAY

          Curtis sits, fully clothed, on the edge of a paper covered
          bench in the exam room. DOCTOR SHANNAN, an older man with a
          smoker's voice, enters smiling and gives a firm handshake.

                          DOCTOR SHANNAN
           Curtis, how you doin' bud?

                          CURTIS
           Hey Doc.

                          DOCTOR SHANNAN
           How's my girl?

           35.

                         
          The Doctor turns to a small table in the corner and grabs a
          wooden tongue depressor and an otoscope from a drawer.

                          CURTIS
           She's good.

                          DOCTOR SHANNAN
           That's good to hear. Tilt your
           head back for me.
          The Doctor shines the otoscope into his nostrils.

                          CURTIS
           I don't have a cold.
          The Doctor pauses and turns to check a chart on the table.

                          DOCTOR SHANNAN
           Oh. Did she get that down wrong?

                          CURTIS
           No, I just told her that.

                          DOCTOR SHANNAN
           Oh. So what's the problem?

                          CURTIS
           I've been havin'...I've been having
           some trouble sleepin'. I was
           hopin' you could give me somethin'
           for it.
          Doctor Shannan takes a seat on a rolling stool and processes
          the request.

                          DOCTOR SHANNAN
           How long's this been goin' on?

                          CURTIS
           `Bout four nights now.

                          DOCTOR SHANNAN
           You're not sleepin' at all?

                          CURTIS
           Well some, but real restless.

                          DOCTOR SHANNAN
           Well, I think four nights is a
           little too soon to tell. My advice
           would be to not eat or drink
           anything after 8 o'clock at night.
           Cut back on any alcoholic drinks,
           tobacco, caffeine...get some daily
           exercise.

           36.

                         

                          CURTIS
           Well, I think...
          Curtis isn't sure how much he wants to say.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           I think I may need to try some
           medication.

                          DOCTOR SHANNAN
           Why do you say that?

                          CURTIS

                          (STILL RELUCTANT)
           The reason I've been having trouble
           sleeping is because of some dreams
           I've been havin'. I didn't think
           it was anything at first, but then
           the other day I woke up and the bed
           was wet.

                          DOCTOR SHANNAN
           You urinated in your bed?

                          CURTIS
           Yeah. Couple days before that I
           had a dream that my dog attacked me
           and it took all day for the pain in
           my arm to go away.
          Doctor Shannan leans his back against the table and thinks
          about this.

                          DOCTOR SHANNAN
           You been to see your mother lately?
          He swivels the stool around and writes on a prescription pad.

                          CURTIS
           It's been about a month.
          He tears two sheets off and holds the first out to Curtis.

                          DOCTOR SHANNAN
           Okay. This is a prescription for a
           pretty mild sedative. It's non-
           habit forming, but I'm only giving
           you enough for a few days anyway.
           Take it and see if it helps. In
           the meantime,
           (holds up the other slip)
           This is the number of a good friend
           of mine in Columbus. He's a
           psychiatrist. It's a drive, but
           he's the best I know.

           37.

                         

                          CURTIS
           Okay.

                          DOCTOR SHANNAN
           I'll give him a call and let him
           know you'll be down to see him.

                          CURTIS
           All right.

                         

          EXT. PUMP STATION CONSTRUCTION SITE/FARMLAND - DAY

          The construction site sits in the middle of open farmland but
          is considerably more involved than Curtis' last job site.
          Dump trucks, backhoes and cement mixers roll and beep across
          muddy ground. A 20 MAN CREW operates throughout.

          NEAR THE WELL DRILLING RIG,
          Dewart pushes down a lever that activates the hydraulic lift
          for the drill. Curtis appears behind him.

                          CURTIS
           Hey Dewart!

                          DEWART

                          (HALF TURNING)
           What you say Curtis?

                          CURTIS
           Not much.
          Curtis kneels at the ground beside the rig. Sifts dirt
          through his fingers.

                          DEWART
           They want us to get a pilot hole
           drilled by lunch. I figure worse
           comes to worse we can eat on the
           rig.

                          CURTIS
           Yeah, we'll get it done. Weekend
           all right?

                          DEWART
           Yeah. Same old shit.

                         

          EXT. PUMP STATION CONSTRUCTION SITE/FARMLAND - LATER

          It's lunchtime. The men sit around in different groups
          eating out of bagged lunches.
          Curtis eats a sandwich and watches the men. Some bitching.
          Others laughing.

           38.

                         
          Wind blows through a wooded area nearby. He watches the
          leaves move. He looks to the sky. It's a beautiful day.
          Almost peaceful.

                         

          EXT. SHEPHERD INSURANCE OFFICE - DAY

          The insurance office sits in a row of small downtown
          buildings.

           INSURANCE AGENT (O.S.)
           No. I need the name of the
           specialist whose diagnosis you'll
           accept.

                         

          INT. SHEPHERD INSURANCE OFFICE - DAY

          An INSURANCE AGENT(62) sits behind her desk with the phone to
          her ear. She's an older woman wearing a pant suit.
          Samantha sits by a fake plant and sips a Coke. She watches
          Hannah play with building blocks from a plastic tub provided
          by the office.

                          INSURANCE AGENT
           (into the phone)
           No. Look it. I've told you this
           twice. Please. Just get me the name
           and or the approval code.

                          (BEAT)
           Okay.
          The Agent writes something down.

           INSURANCE AGENT (CONT'D)
           (into the phone)
           All right. And the phone. Well
           great. Thank you very much.
          The Agent hangs up the phone and rips a piece of paper from
          the pad in front of her. She hands it to Samantha.

           INSURANCE AGENT (CONT'D)
           This is the name and number of the
           specialist who the insurance
           company approves of. Just call and
           make an appointment. Now if this
           doctor signs off , you should have
           the implant procedure fully
           covered. I'm sorry it took so
           long.
          Samantha looks at the paper, impressed.

                          SAMANTHA
           Can I give you a hug?

           39.

                         

                          INSURANCE AGENT
           It's fine. It's fine. You know
           your husband's company actually has
           very good insurance when it kicks
           in. Not a lot of jobs offer
           policies half as good. You're very
           lucky.

                         

          INT. GROCERY STORE PHARMACY - DAY

          Curtis stands in line at the pharmacy located in the back
          corner of the grocery store. He approaches the counter and
          hands over his prescription to a female PHARMACIST.
          She disappears behind a divider as Curtis removes his wallet.
          He takes out an insurance card and runs his thumb over the
          bills.
          The Pharmacist returns with a stapled white bag. Curtis
          holds out the insurance card.

                          PHARMACIST
           That's okay. We have your
           insurance on file. That'll be

           $47.64.

                          CURTIS
           What's the co-pay?

                          PHARMACIST
           That is your co-pay.
          Curtis studies the small paper sack and removes three, 20
          dollar bills from his wallet.

                         

          INT. LAFORCHE HOME - EVENING

          Curtis enters the front door, closing it behind him. He
          turns and is met by Samantha, who wraps her arms around him.

                          CURTIS
           Hey.
          She squeezes him. Then kisses him.

                          SAMANTHA
           I love you.

                          CURTIS
           I love you too.

                          SAMANTHA
           I have good news.

           40.

                         

          INT. KITCHEN - LATER

          Curtis finishes off a dinner of roast and potatoes. Samantha
          sets the piece of paper the Insurance Agent gave her in front
          of him and begins clearing the table.
          Hannah draws on a piece of construction paper at the other
          end of the table. Samantha picks up a crayon and shows it to
          Hannah.

                          SAMANTHA
           Green? How `bout a red?
          She pretends to use the crayon as lipstick.

                          SAMANTHA (CONT'D)
           It was like talking to a sane
           person for once. She made one
           phone call. That's it. I've been
           trying that 800 number for weeks.

                          CURTIS
           It's great. It's great.

                          (TO HANNAH)
           Hey, Hannah.
          Hannah doesn't look up. He stands and goes over to her.
          Touches her shoulder and kneels beside her.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           You excited? Huh? We're gonna get
           you some help.
          Curtis touches his finger to her chest then stops. He can't
          think of the sign. He turns to Samantha.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           How do you say...sign excited?

                          SAMANTHA
           Like this.
          Samantha shows him the sign. Curtis mimics.

                          CURTIS
           Excited. Yeah?
          Hannah nods. He kisses her on the forehead. He picks up a
          crayon and holds it up to her lips like lipstick.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           Now I got to do you.

           41.

                         

          INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

          Samantha lies under the covers looking at a real estate
          magazine. Curtis takes off his clothes by the dresser. He
          subtly removes a prescription bottle from his pants pocket
          and cups it in his palm.

                          SAMANTHA
           Oh, honey. Look at this one. It's
           a 2-1 and it sits directly on the
           beach. Wouldn't that be great? We
           wouldn't have to worry about Hannah
           crossing traffic.
          Curtis walks over and leans in to see the page. They are
          rental photos of beach condos.

                          CURTIS
           What's the rent?

                          SAMANTHA
           Eight ninety nine a week.

                          CURTIS
           That sounds real nice.
          Samantha keeps flipping through the magazine as Curtis heads
          to the bathroom.

                         

          INT. BATHROOM - CONTINUOUS

          Curtis turns the water on in the sink and shakes two pills
          from the orange bottle. He stuffs them in his mouth and
          chases it with water from the faucet.
          Curtis looks at himself in the mirror for a moment before
          cutting out the light.

                         

          INT. BEDROOM - MORNING

          A crack in the ceiling slowly comes into focus.
          Curtis sits up in bed, rubbing his eyes. He looks around the
          room. He hears Samantha in the kitchen.
          He takes a deep breath, smelling the breakfast cooking.
          Curtis smiles.

                         

          INT. KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER

          Curtis sits at the kitchen table as Samantha dishes up some
          eggs.

           42.

                         

                          SAMANTHA
           You sleep well?

                          CURTIS
           Yeah. I did.

                          SAMANTHA
           You look like you're feeling
           better.
          Curtis nods and eats his breakfast.

                         

          EXT. PUMP STATION CONSTRUCTION SITE/FARMLAND - DAY

          Curtis and Dewart attach a drill bit to the rig.

                          CURTIS
           You want me to come there and do it
           for you? Jesus.
          Curtis steadies the large metal piece as Dewart ratchets it
          down.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           Hey, how much food do you think
           you'd need to live on for a week?

                          DEWART
           What do you mean?

                          CURTIS
           I mean to stay alive. What do you
           think you'd need?

                          DEWART
           Not a lot.

                          CURTIS
           You think?

                          DEWART
           I don't know. You hear about
           people livin' for days all the time
           offa bark and melted snow.

                          CURTIS
           I've never heard of that.

                          DEWART
           Shit I don't know. You asked the
           question.

                          CURTIS
           It's on there. It's on. Come on.

           43.

                         
          Curtis steps back from the arm of the drill. Dewart taps the
          wrench on two bolts to make sure they are secure.

          A LOUD BOOM RATTLES. THUNDER.
          Curtis flinches at the sound.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           Dammit.

                          DEWART
           What?
          Curtis turns around and checks the sky. It's clear blue.
          Not a cloud in sight.

                          CURTIS
           It sounds like thunder.

                          DEWART
           What sounds like thunder?

          BOOM. ANOTHER THUNDER STRIKE.
          Curtis doesn't move. He watches Dewart walk to the controls
          of the drilling rig.

          MORE THUNDER. ROLLING NOW.
          Curtis steps back from the rig and checks the horizons.
          Nothing. It's a beautiful day.
          Dewart looks down at him. Curtis' face is pale, scared.
          Curtis looks at him. Not sure what to say. Curtis turns and
          walks to his truck.

                          DEWART (CONT'D)
           Where you goin'? Curtis. Where you
           goin'?

          BY CURTIS' TRUCK,
          Curtis stops and rests his hands on the bed of the truck.
          Another THUNDER STRIKE makes him flinch.
          Curtis VOMITS next to the back tire.
          He quickly stands, wiping his mouth. He checks over his
          shoulders to see if anyone has seen him.

                         

          I/E. CURTIS' TRUCK/RURAL HIGHWAY - MOVING - DAY
          Curtis studies his face in the rearview mirror as he sails
          down the rural highway.

           44.

                         
          He rubs his eyes with the back of his hand and looks in the
          side mirror. The horizon is still clear.
          Curtis begins to hyperventilate. Short breaths accompanied
          by cold sweat. Sucking air. He can't breath. He panics.
          The truck tires slide on the gravel shoulder as he abruptly
          slams on the brakes and steers off the highway.
          Dust settles outside as Curtis begins to get his breathing
          under control. He rests his head on the steering wheel and
          shuts his eyes tight.
          Everything quiets down. His breathing. The road. No more
          thunder.
          Curtis looks out his passenger window.
          His truck has stopped in front of a Tractor Trailer Depot. A
          rusted shipping container with giant white letters painted on
          it reads, "CONTAINERS FOR SALE".
          Curtis stares at this. He climbs out of the truck.

                         

          EXT. TRAILER DEPOT - CONTINUOUS

          Curtis walks around his truck to get a better look at the
          depot. The dirt lot is piled high with containers.
          He studies the "FOR SALE" sign, then a smaller sign next to
          it that lists available sizes.
          Curtis turns back to his truck and rubs his face, still
          shaking things off. He looks up at the sky. Clear and blue.
          A thought comes to him. He checks his watch.

                         

          I/E. CURTIS' TRUCK/INTERSTATE - DAY
          Curtis drives down a divided four-lane interstate.

                         

          EXT. PLEASANT GROVE APARTMENTS - DAY

          Curtis' truck pulls into the parking lot of the Pleasant
          Grove Apartments. It's a well manicured, new construction
          facility. The words "AN ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITY" are
          written under the apartment name on the sign out front.

                         

          INT. ASSISTED LIVING APARTMENT/HALLWAY - DAY

          Curtis stands by the door for apartment 212 in an interior
          carpeted hallway. He knocks.

           45.

                         
          A passing ATTENDANT guides an elderly WOMAN down the hallway.
          Curtis nods to them.
          The door opens. SARAH(61), a plainly dressed woman much too
          young to live in a nursing home, looks surprised.

                          SARAH
           Curtis.

                          CURTIS
           Hey Mom.
          Her eyes light up and she wraps her arms around Curtis.

                          SARAH
           Come in.

                          CURTIS
           Sure.
          She leads him inside.

                         

          INT. SARAH'S APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS

          The apartment is small, but nicely kept. Not much furniture
          or personal trappings. Framed family photos mostly.

                          CURTIS
           I'm going to get some water.
          He fills his glass at the sink. Takes a sip.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           You want some?

                          SARAH
           No.

                         
          Curtis enters the living area as Sarah stops in the
          kitchenette.

                         

          INT. SARAH'S APARTMENT - MOMENTS LATER

          Sarah runs her fingers around the bent edges of a small photo
          of Hannah.

                          SARAH
           Isn't she lovely.
          Curtis drops his head. He looks uncomfortable.

                          CURTIS
           Mom?

           46.

                         

                          SARAH
           Yes.

                          CURTIS
           I need to ask you somethin'.
          She looks at him. Totally open.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           Do you remember what year we
           brought you up here? To the first
           place.
          She has to think about it.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           It was `86.

                          SARAH
           Yes. Because Kyle was going to be a
           senior.

                          CURTIS
           I was 10.

                          SARAH
           Yes.
          Curtis nods.

                          CURTIS
           Can you remember what happened
           before you got diagnosed?

                          SARAH
           What do you mean?

                          CURTIS
           I mean...I just want to know how it
           all started. Before you had to
           leave.
          Sarah settles in her chair, understanding the question.

                          SARAH
           Oh, I don't know. I remember it
           was a real stressful time. Your
           father was gone a lot, and I
           couldn't handle things on my own.

                          CURTIS
           Did you ever have any dreams? Like
           bad dreams.

                          SARAH
           No. Nothing like that. There was
           always...

                          (MORE)

           47.

                         

                          SARAH (CONT'D)
           (searches for the words)
           There was always a panic that took
           hold of me. I thought people were
           watching me or listening to me.

           I...
          Sarah is remembering. Her face draws tight, frustrated.

                          CURTIS
           It's all right. It's all right.
           It's fine.
          Sarah looks up and smiles. Her focus shifts back to her son.

                          SARAH
           Are you okay?

                          CURTIS
           Yeah. Yeah. I'm fine.
          Sarah looks back down to Hannah's photo.

                         

          EXT. GAS STATION - LATE AFTERNOON

          The relatively new gas station sits just off the interstate.
          Curtis stands at the pump filling up his truck.
          He watches the numbers next to the dollar sign roll higher.
          He looks back at the busy freeway. Cars passing.
          The pump stops. The final amount reads, "$68.79". He hangs
          the hose back onto the pump and pulls a cell phone from his
          pocket. He dials and waits.

                          CURTIS
           (into the phone)
           May I have the number for Doctor
           George Shannan?

                          (WAITS)
           Thanks.
          Curtis, phone still at his ear, turns and watches the
          horizon. The sun hangs low in the sky. A reddish haze.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           (into the phone)
           Hi, is Doctor Shannan there? May I
           speak with him? This is Curtis
           LaForche.

                          (WAITS)
           Hey Doc. Yeah, sorry...Sorry to
           call you at home, I just don't
           think I can make it to Columbus to
           see that psychiatrist. Yeah, it's
           just too far. Is there somewhere
           local you can send me?

           48.

                         

          INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

          Curtis steps quietly into the bedroom. The lights are on,
          but Samantha has fallen asleep on top of the made bed.
          He empties his pockets on the dresser and Samantha wakes up.

                          SAMANTHA
           Hey.

                          CURTIS
           Oh, hey. Sorry I woke you up.

                          SAMANTHA
           It's okay. Where you been?

                          CURTIS
           I went to see mom.
          Samantha sits up in the bed.

                          SAMANTHA
           Is she okay?

                          CURTIS
           Mmm hmm. I just wanted to check up
           on her.

                          SAMANTHA
           You shoulda told me we would have
           gone with you.

                          CURTIS
           That's okay.
          Samantha lays back down, tucking herself under the covers.

                          SAMANTHA
           Come to bed.

                          CURTIS
           I will in a bit.
          Curtis finishes emptying his pockets.

                         

          INT. HANNAH'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

          Hannah sleeps soundly in her bed. Curtis stands at the door
          watching her. He walks over and takes a seat on the edge of
          the bed. He listens to her breath.

                         

          EXT. LAFORCHE BACKYARD - NIGHT

          The backyard is almost pitch black. Curtis stands in front
          of the storm shelter doors holding out the Coleman Lantern.

           49.

                         
          He surveys the backyard with it. The trash pile has been
          removed leaving the yard more open.
          Curtis begins to count steps out from the left edge of the
          shelter doors. He counts to himself, three feet per stride.
          He begins to outline a rectangle.

                         

          INT. DEN - NIGHT

          The house is quiet and the den is lit by a single lamp.
          Curtis sits alone on the couch, hunched over the coffee
          table. He writes on a yellow legal pad. It's a list with
          the heading, "REMODEL". It reads:
          -Shipping Container, $1,800

          -PVC, $475
          -Plumbing and waste, $1,650
          -Bobcat, $1,750
          -Jackhammer with pneumatics, $800
          -Sealant, $150
          -Dirt, -$250
          At the bottom of the list, Curtis writes the figure, "$7,500"
          and circles it.
          He studies the number, then begins drawing a rectangular
          diagram below it.

                         

          INT. FIRST NATIONAL BANK OFFICE - DAY

          Curtis blows into a Styrofoam cup and stares through the
          blinds of an office window. Outside, a flag snaps at the top
          of a pole next to the FIRST NATIONAL BANK sign.
          He looks down at a NEWSPAPER laid out on an end table next to
          him. He flips it over and studies the ads on the back. A
          big one in the corner catches his eye.
          It reads, "CUYAHOGA GUN AND KNIFE SHOW!" The ad lists items
          for sell/trade: ...Tactical Gear, Gas Masks, Batons...
          Curtis focuses in on the words "Gas Masks" and tears the ad
          out. JOHN MYERS(34) enters with a set of papers in his hand.
          Curtis quickly tucks the ad into his back pocket.
          Myers takes a seat in one of two chairs in front of his desk
          and looks over the papers. He takes a pen out of his pocket
          as Curtis sits down next to him.

                          MYERS
           Well you've kept up with the
           payments on the house.

           50.

                         

                          CURTIS
           We've been good about that.
          Myers nods, but he carries a look of concern. He confides.

                          MYERS
           I gotta tell you Curtis, banks
           aren't loaning money the way they
           used to. We've got you a loan
           today, but the interest rates are
           variable and we have to tie it to
           your house.

                          CURTIS
           That's fine.
          Myers sits back, drawing the pen to his lips and tapping it.

                          MYERS
           Curtis, I've known you a long time.
           We financed your house for you, two
           vehicles. I'm telling you this is
           a risky loan you're taking.

                          CURTIS
           I need the money John.
          Myers nods, then leans forward and clicks the pen.

                          MYERS
           Okay.

                         

          EXT. FIRST NATIONAL BANK - DAY

          Curtis opens the door to his truck which is parked in the
          bank's lot. He unbuttons his starched white shirt and places
          it on the truck seat.
          He pulls out a dirty blue work shirt and begins buttoning it.

                         

          EXT. PUMP STATION CONSTRUCTION SITE/FARMLAND - DAY

          Dewart sits at the controls of the drilling rig. He sees
          Curtis approaching through the construction site. Curtis
          waves two fingers at him. Dewart shuts down the drill.

                          CURTIS
           Hey.

                          DEWART
           Hey.

                          CURTIS
           Sorry I left you yesterday.

           51.

                         
          Dewart hops down and the two approach the drill site. Dewart
          seems sullen.

                          DEWART
           Jim came by. I covered for you.

                          CURTIS
           Thanks.

                          DEWART
           I need your help with the depth
           charts.

                          CURTIS
           Sure.

                         

          EXT. PUMP STATION CONSTRUCTION SITE/FARMLAND - LATER

          Curtis and Dewart sit on the drilling rig eating lunch.

                          DEWART
           Fuckin' Nat put me in charge of
           frying oysters for that Lions Club
           supper.

                          CURTIS
           You need another burner?

                          DEWART
           Yeah, if you still got yours I
           could use it.

                          CURTIS
           You think you could help me with
           somethin'?

                          DEWART
           Whatta you need?

                          CURTIS
           I'm gonna build out the tornado
           shelter in my backyard. I could
           use some help.

                          DEWART
           The hell you wanna do that for?

                          CURTIS
           Just needs to be done.
          Dewart eyes him, unsure.

                          DEWART
           What do you need?

           52.

                         

                          CURTIS
           I figure I'll do it on Saturday,
           borrow some equipment from work.

                          DEWART
           You sure about that?

                          CURTIS
           I just need a backhoe, a hauler.
           I'll rent the rest.
          Dewart stares off into the distance. He notices Curtis
          looking at him, waiting for an answer.

                          DEWART
           Yeah. Whatever. I'll help.

                          CURTIS
           Thanks.

                          DEWART
           You all right man?

                          CURTIS
           What do you mean?

                          DEWART
           I just don't wanna see you fuck up.

                          CURTIS
           I'm not.

                         

          EXT. TRAILER DEPOT - LATE AFTERNOON

          Curtis stands and talks with a MAN in the middle of the
          Tractor Trailer Depot just off the highway. The Man points
          to a row of shipping containers and uses his hands to mimic
          how one would be lowered.
          They shake hands and Curtis walks away.

                         

          EXT. COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER - DAY

          The Community Health Center is a one-level, aged brick
          building.

                         

          INT. COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER/LOBBY - CONTINUOUS

          Curtis sits in the lobby filling out a clipboard full of
          forms and questionnaires. Light traffic flows in and out.
          He flips a page over. The section heading reads, "Family
          Medical History". Curtis begins to write.

           53.

                         

          INT. COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER/HALLWAY - LATER

          Curtis references a slip of paper as he looks for a room
          number in a long, linoleum tiled hallway; a book and note pad
          tucked under his arm.
          He finds the correct door ajar and knocks.

           KENDRA (O.S.)
           Come in.

                         

          INT. KENDRA'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

          KENDRA(42), a black woman with short hair, sits behind a
          public issue desk in a public issue office. A poster about
          flu shots hangs on the wall. There is no personal decor.

                          KENDRA
           Hi.

                          CURTIS
           Hello.
          She half stands and offers a hand.

                          KENDRA
           Have a seat. I'm Kendra.

                          CURTIS
           Curtis.
          Curtis shakes and they sit. Kendra opens a manila folder.

                          KENDRA
           I'm gonna start by askin' you some
           questions.

                          CURTIS
           Okay. I already answered all the
           questions on the forms.

                          KENDRA
           Yeah, I know. I looked at `em, but
           I need to get a profile started on
           you.

                          CURTIS
           Right. Well...
          Curtis slides the yellow legal pad out of the book he
          brought. It's the library book on Mental Illness.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           Out of the five possible symptoms
           needed to be diagnosed with

                          SCHIZOPHRENIA:

                          (MORE)

           54.

                         

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           (reads off the pad)
           delusions, hallucinations,
           disorganized speech, disorganized
           behavior, and the negative
           symptoms, I've had two. Delusions
           and hallucinations. But they say
           it has to continue for six months
           to be diagnosed schizophrenia and
           mine hasn't been goin' on anywhere
           near that long. So, I took this
           quiz in the back of the book and I
           scored a five out of a possible
           twenty. Schizophrenia starts at
           twelve. So, they say it might be
           a...
           (reads off the pad)
           brief psychotic disorder. Whatever
           it is, I need to know what to do or
           what to get on to get this thing
           under control.
          Kendra stares at him.

                          KENDRA
           Look. I'm a counselor. Certified,
           but I'm not a psychiatrist. I
           can't prescribe anything to you. I
           can talk to you, I can recommend
           where to send you, but that's it.
          Curtis begins to gather his things.

                          KENDRA (CONT'D)
           Now that said, if you want to talk,
           I'll listen. For a lot of people
           that's a good start.
          Curtis hesitates.

                          KENDRA (CONT'D)
           Now you said here that your mother
           was diagnosed with paranoid
           schizophrenia in her thirties. And
           you're at 35. You wanna talk about
           that?
          Curtis settles in his seat. Sets his book on the floor.

                          CURTIS
           Yeah, I don't know my mother's
           symptoms. I was just 10. My
           brother was 17. And, uh...I don't
           know. She just left me in the car
           in the parking lot at the grocery
           store one day. And she didn't come
           back. And then they found her a
           week later eatin' trash out of a
           dumpster in northern Kentucky.

                          (MORE)

           55.

                         

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           My dad had to put her in the state
           hospital in Columbus. And she's
           been in assisted living ever since.
           Yep. My dad raised me. He died
           last April.
          Kendra nods, a pleasant look on her face.

                          KENDRA
           So tell me `bout these dreams.
          Curtis studies her face, bites at the inside of his cheek.

                         

          INT. SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSROOM - NIGHT

          The class has finished. PARENTS and KIDS trickle out.
          Samantha stands off to the side speaking with the Teacher.

                          SAMANTHA
           I don't know what our schedule will
           be, but...

                          TEACHER
           That's all right. But I really do
           think you should continue with the
           sign language. And any additional
           therapies that kids need for the
           cochlear implant.

                          SAMANTHA
           Absolutely.

                          TEACHER
           Okay. Good night.

                          SAMANTHA
           Good night.
          As Samantha talks to the Teacher, Curtis looks over
          flashcards with Hannah. He signs "SUNSHINE", a circle in the
          sky with the hand then coming down, fingers spread.

                         

          I/E. SAMANTHA'S CAR/INTERSTATE - NIGHT
          Curtis drives while Samantha and Hannah sleep in the back.
          Surrounding farmland drops quickly into darkness joining a
          purple sky in the distance. Through the passenger window, a
          streak of lightning breaks across the horizon. Then another.
          Curtis, seeing this, repositions to get a better look through
          the window. It's horizontal lightning that appears to leap
          from cloud to cloud. Well defined bolts that strobe the
          night sky silhouetting towering thunderheads.

           56.

                         
          Curtis looks back to Samantha and Hannah, still asleep.
          He pulls the car over to the shoulder of the interstate and
          continues watching. He climbs out.

          ON THE SHOULDER OF THE INTERSTATE,
          Cars rush by as Curtis gently closes the car door. Keeping
          his eyes on the lightning storm, he walks to the shoulder.
          It's a fantastic display of light. Hurried and intense. A
          BOLT of lightning reaches down to the ground. Sparks pop off
          the earth in the distance. Another BOLT streaks down,
          getting closer.
          Curtis sees the traffic continuing to pass by at full speed.

                          CURTIS

                          (TO HIMSELF)
           Is anyone seeing this?
          Curtis walks to the back window of the car and sees Samantha
          sleeping inside. He reaches out to knock but stops himself.
          He turns back to the lightning and watches.

                         

          INT. DELTA AGRI-PRO MAIN OFFICE - DAY

          The giant rolling door curls up in the Delta Agri-Pro
          warehouse. Sunlight bounces off the finished concrete.
          Curtis pulls the chain for the door as Dewart slams the tow
          latch down on the back of a DUMP TRUCK.

                         

          I/E. FLEA MARKET/LAFORCHE HOME - SERIES OF IMAGES - DAY
          -The Dump Truck and Tow Trailer sit parked on the street in
          front of Curtis' house. Dewart stands at the back of the
          trailer with his hand on the ramp lever as Curtis reverses a
          BACKHOE onto the street.
          -Samantha works her booth at the flea market. Hannah neatly
          organizes a collection of colored beads on the floor.
          -A 20 foot rectangle has been outlined in bright orange paint
          next to the storm shelter in Curtis' backyard. Other colored
          markings denote gas and water lines. The bucket on the
          Backhoe digs into the center of the dotted rectangle.
          -Dewart maneuvers the Backhoe's bucket and drops a load of
          earth into the bed of the Dump Truck. Red, the dog, barks at
          the loud machinery from his pen.

           57.

                         
          -Curtis uses a smaller trench digging machine on the backside
          of the yard, radiating out from the main dig site. He
          notices a NEIGHBOR watching him from they yard next door.
          -Samantha tallies cash from the tackle box she uses as a
          register. Hannah counts out the change.
          -Dewart assembles a series of PVC pipe next to the trenches
          Curtis dug.
          -Curtis, work goggles on, stands in a head deep hole holding
          a pneumatic jack hammer up to the exposed exterior wall of
          the storm shelter. He begins hammering.

                         

          EXT. LAFORCHE HOME - LATE AFTERNOON

          Samantha's car pulls up and parks on the opposite side of the
          street from their house. She gets out, puzzled by the
          Backhoe and Trailer parked in front of her house.
          Huge light brown tracks of dirt stripe the concrete driveway.
          Leading Hannah by the hand, Samantha follows the tracks to
          the backyard.

          IN THE BACKYARD,
          Samantha stops, mouth agape, stunned by what she sees.
          A 20 foot by 8 foot wide hole that is 10 feet deep sits in
          the middle of her yard. Smaller trenches lead out from it.
          Dewart leans against the propane tank in the back corner of
          the yard. He digs dirt from underneath his fingernails with
          a pocket knife. Seeing Samantha, he waves a hand.
          Curtis' head appears from the hole. He stops when he sees
          Samantha. They stare at one another. He can see her
          surprise. He continues up the ladder and walks over to her.
          Dewart watches from the back of the yard.

                          CURTIS
           Hey. It's all right. Calm down.
          Samantha takes Hannah into the house without saying a word.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           Samantha.

                          SAMANTHA
           Are you out of your mind?
          She continues into the house. Curtis turns, frustrated.
          Dewart takes this in, then goes back to his nails.

           58.

                         

          INT. LAFORCHE HOME - NIGHT

          Hannah watches television in the den by herself.

          IN THE BEDROOM,
          Samantha sits on the edge of the bed. Curtis stands a few
          paces back. His hands dug into the back of his dusty jeans.

                          SAMANTHA
           Not a word. You didn't say one
           word about this to me. Don't you
           think you owe me that? Don't you
           think that you might respect me
           enough to at least consider what I
           had to say?

                          CURTIS
           I didn't want you worryin' about
           it.

                          SAMANTHA
           Well I'm worried Curtis. How are
           you paying for all that?

                          CURTIS
           I got a home improvement loan from
           the bank.
          Samantha is stunned. She stands and gets in his face.

                          SAMANTHA
           How could you do that without
           talking to me? You know the
           expenses we have comin' up. You
           want to waste money on a stupid
           tornado shelter?

                          CURTIS
           I'm doin' it...I'm doin' it for us.
           I know you don't understand.

                          SAMANTHA
           You're right. I don't understand.
           I don't understand half the stuff
           you've been doin' lately. I don't
           understand you puttin' Red out
           back. I don't understand you
           stayin' up all night in that stupid
           tornado shelter. You don't come to
           bed half the time. You leave and
           don't tell me where you're goin'.
           Explain that to me. Please. Tell
           me something that helps me
           understand why you're bein' like
           this.

           59.

                         
          Curtis can't look at her. He tries to find words but fails.

                          CURTIS
           There's nothin' to explain.
          Samantha stares at his face, searching for an answer. She's
          on the verge of tears.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           I'm gonna go put Hannah to bed.
          Curtis walks out of the room. Samantha can't hold back,
          tears run down her face.

                         

          INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT

          Curtis stares at himself in the mirror. He opens the bottle
          of prescription pills and shakes out two. Looks at them.
          Shakes out another three. He pops the pills in his mouth and
          drinks from the faucet.

                         

          INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

          It's dark and quiet in the house. Samantha sleeps on her
          side, her back to Curtis.
          Her head is jostled. More. The bed begins to vibrate. Her
          eyes open. She turns over to see Curtis.
          He's having a SEIZURE.
          Samantha reaches for him. Eyes closed, his body convulses
          violently. Samantha quickly turns on a bedside lamp.

                          SAMANTHA
           Curtis!
          She touches his arms. A small amount of BLOOD begins to
          trickle from both sides of his mouth.

                          SAMANTHA (CONT'D)
           Baby. Oh, my God. Baby...Oh, my
           God. Baby.
          Samantha jumps off the bed and grabs a cordless phone on the
          dresser. She dials, watching her husband continue to shake.

                          SAMANTHA (CONT'D)
           I need an ambulance! My husband's
           having a seizure. 41800 Tindale
           Road. Hurry up. He's bleeding!
          Samantha goes over to him. Holding her hands out, cautious
          to touch him.

           60.

                         

                          SAMANTHA (CONT'D)
           (into the phone)
           Okay. Okay.
          Samantha puts the phone receiver down on the nightstand. The
          Operator's VOICE still coming through. She touches his arm.
          Suddenly, the seizures stop. Curtis' body is still.
          Samantha freezes.
          His eyes open and he thrashes up in bed. Samantha jumps,
          tripping and stumbling backward.
          Curtis sucks short breaths into his lungs. His head darts
          back and forth, eyes wild. He sees Samantha staring up at
          him from the floor. He begins to calm down.
          Curtis touches his mouth. Sees the blood there.

                          SAMANTHA (CONT'D)
           Honey?
          Samantha stands up and goes over to him. She sits on the
          edge of the bed and touches his arm. She's scared.

                          SAMANTHA (CONT'D)
           Honey? Are you okay?
          Curtis slowly nods.

                          SAMANTHA (CONT'D)
           You were having a seizure. I
           called an ambulance.
          Curtis sees the phone on the nightstand and grabs it.

                          CURTIS
           (into the phone)
           No. It's fine. It's fine. Don't
           send an ambulance. It's fine.
          Curtis clicks off the phone.

                          SAMANTHA
           What are you doing?
          Curtis wraps his arms around her. He holds her tight. The
          SOUND of ambulance sirens approach from the distance.
          Samantha speaks, her voice trembling.

                          SAMANTHA (CONT'D)
           Baby what's goin' on?

           61.

                         

          EXT. LAFORCHE HOME - NIGHT

          The ambulance lights splash across the house. Curtis escorts
          TWO EMTs down the front walk. He favors his left leg,
          walking with a slight limp.

                          CURTIS
           I'm sorry you fellows had to come
           all the way out.

                          EMT
           It's what we do. Now we can still
           take you in if you want a doctor to
           look at those cuts in your mouth.

                          CURTIS
           Yeah. That's all right.. I'll see
           somebody on Monday.

                          EMT
           All right.

                          CURTIS
           Thanks.
          Curtis shakes their hands. He turns to walk back in the
          house and notices NEIGHBORS watching from their porches.

                         

          INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT

          Curtis turns up a bottle of peroxide and swishes it in his
          mouth. It burns. He spits into the kitchen sink.
          Samantha sits at the table watching him. Concerned, scared.
          She holds a balled up tissue in her hand. Curtis takes a
          seat across the table. She waits for him to say something.

                          CURTIS
           I haven't been honest with you.
           I'm sorry.

                          SAMANTHA
           What's goin' on?

                          CURTIS
           I've been havin' these dreams. I
           guess they're more like nightmares.
           It's why I've been actin' like
           this.
          Samantha listens with a furrowed brow.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           They always start with a kind of
           storm. Like a real powerful storm.

                          (MORE)

           62.

                         

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           And there's always this dark, thick
           rain. Like fresh motor oil. And
           then the things, people, it just
           makes `em crazy. They attack me.
           Sometimes they go after Hannah.
           First one I had Red nearly chewed
           through my arm.

                          SAMANTHA
           That's why you put him out back?

                          CURTIS
           Yeah.

                          SAMANTHA
           What was the dream? Tonight.

                          CURTIS
           It was Dewart. We were at the job
           site. The storm started and
           somethin' happened. His face. His
           eyes were different. He came after
           me with a pick ax. And we fought.
           And he ran it through my leg.
          Curtis zones out for a moment. Samantha says nothing.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           It's hard to explain, because it's
           not just a dream. It's a feeling.
           I'm afraid something might be
           comin'. Something that's...not
           right. I can not describe it. I
           just need you to believe me.
          Samantha's eyes are red. Her nose. She nods slightly and
          dabs the tissue at the corner of her eye.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           I've been to a counselor. I've
           seen her a few times.
          This makes Samantha look up.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           You know what I come from. And I
           promised myself...I promised myself
           I would never leave. And I am
           doin' everything that I can to make
           that true.
          The room is quiet. Samantha watches her husband.

           63.

                         

          INT. OTOLARYNGOLOGIST'S CLINIC/CT SCAN ROOM - DAY

          Hannah lies flat as the sled moves her through the oval CT
          scanner. A red, lighted crosshair passes over her face.

                         

          INT. OTOLARYNGOLOGIST'S CLINIC/OFFICE - DAY

          Samantha has Hannah on her lap. She and Curtis listen
          intently to an ATTENDANT who sits next to them with a file.

                          ATTENDANT
           Since the doctor's approved her for
           surgery, We just need to get her
           scheduled. The next possible
           opening is...
           (reviews a calendar)
           The 21st of next month. That's six
           weeks.

                          CURTIS
           Six weeks?

                          ATTENDANT
           Is that okay?

                          SAMANTHA
           It's wonderful.

                         

          EXT. PUMP STATION CONSTRUCTION SITE/FARMLAND - DAY

          Curtis stands with Russell over the hood of a pick-up truck.
          They look over a roll of ground water charts.
          Russell talks and points to the map, but Curtis' attention is
          focused elsewhere. He watches Dewart in the distance.

                          RUSSELL
           ...this point just to the west. I
           don't think we'll have any problem.
           We should be able to get twenty,
           maybe thirty in this next week. But
           we're looking to see how that's
           gonna shape up, so...
          Dewart smiles and makes broad gestures with his arms. He's
          telling a story to Dave, who laughs hard.

                          RUSSELL (CONT'D)
           Curtis?
          His attention snaps back.

                          CURTIS
           Yeah.

           64.

                         

                          RUSSELL
           What do you think?

                          CURTIS
           Yeah. That sounds good. We'll get
           it done.
          Russell rolls up the charts. They walk toward the work site,
          toward Dewart.

                         

          INT. DELTA AGRI-PRO MAIN OFFICE/JIM'S OFFICE - DAY

          Jim fills out paperwork at his desk. There is a KNOCK.

                          JIM
           Come in.
          Curtis walks inside. He stands in front of the desk.

                          JIM (CONT'D)
           What you need Curtis?

                          CURTIS
           I need a favor Jim.

                          JIM
           What's that?

                          CURTIS
           Can you take Dewart off my crew?
           Just reassign him someplace else.
          Jim sets his pen down and leans back.

                          JIM
           What's the trouble? He not pullin'
           his weight?

                          CURTIS
           No, nothin' like that. He's a good
           worker. He's a good man. He's my
           friend. I think it'd be easier not
           being in charge of someone I'm so
           close to.
          Jim nods.

                          JIM
           You know, I understand. This is
           part of what it means to manage
           people Curtis. You're gonna have
           to learn that.

           65.

                         

                          CURTIS
           Yes sir. I appreciate that but...
           well it would just be very helpful
           in this case.

                          JIM
           Okay. Well, I can put him with
           Russell. Anybody else you prefer?

                          CURTIS
           No. Whoever you think's right.

                          JIM
           Okay.

                          CURTIS
           Thank you.
          Curtis turns to leave the office.

                          JIM
           You been missin' a lotta work
           Curtis.

                          CURTIS
           I know. My daughter's had a lot of
           doctor's visits. I haven't let
           anything get behind.

                          JIM
           No. But don't. Okay.

                          CURTIS
           Yessir.
          Curtis shows himself out.

                         

          EXT. LAFORCHE BACKYARD - EVENING

          The sun has just set and a purple hue hangs over everything.
          Curtis stands in the very back of the yard and watches a MAN
          guide a long, flatbed trailer up the driveway. An 18 foot
          metal SHIPPING CONTAINER rides on the back.

                         

          INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS

          Nat and Samantha sit at the kitchen table going over a list
          of food in a note pad.

                          SAMANTHA
           I know they just usually do oysters
           and fries but what if we did
           something healthier on the side?

           66.

                         

                          NAT
           What like slaw?
          Nat gets up to refill her drink. She looks out the back door
          and surveys the construction zone. A FORKLIFT lowers the
          Shipping Container into the giant hole in the backyard. Nat
          shakes her head.

                          SAMANTHA
           I don't know. Maybe a vegetable or
           salad.

                          NAT
           Dewart's been tellin' me how
           strange Curtis has been actin'
           lately. I am so sorry.
          Nat brings her drink back to the table and sits. Samantha
          doesn't look up from her pad.

                          NAT (CONT'D)
           It's not like you don't have enough
           on your plate with Hannah.
          Nat puts her hand on Samantha's. Samantha moves it.

                          SAMANTHA
           Things are fine. We're fine.
          Nat smiles sympathetically.

                         

          INT. ARMY NAVY STORE - DAY

          Curtis meanders inside. He sees police tactical and survival
          gear behind the counter. Chief among them is a collection of
          gas masks hanging on the rear partition.

                          OWNER
           Can I help you?

                          CURTIS
           Yeah. Can I look at one of these
           gas masks?

                          OWNER
           Sure. Which one you want to look
           at?

                          CURTIS
           The newest one.
          The OWNER of the store removes a mask and hands it to him.
          Curtis fiddles with the mask.

           67.

                         

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           How much?

                          OWNER
           One seventy eight.
          Curtis frowns at the price.

                          CURTIS
           Anything cheaper?

                          OWNER
           No. That's the cheapest one I got
           in the store. They go all the way
           up to two ninety. I don't know what
           you want to spend but a gas mask
           ain't something you want to go
           cheap on.

                          CURTIS
           You got any kids sizes?

                          OWNER
           No. Kids can't wear those. They got
           a have a special thing, its like a
           hood. I don't fool with those.
          Curtis nods. The perusing Shopper listens in.

                          CURTIS
           Yeah. Ring me up a couple of `em.

                         

          EXT. ARMY NAVY PARKING LOT - DAY

          Curtis stands at the driver's door of his pick-up. The box
          sits on the seat in front of him. He opens it and removes
          one of the gas masks.
          He stares into its vacant plastic eyes. He drops the mask
          back into the box and shakes his head. Sighs, frustrated
          with it all.
          He checks over his shoulder, scans the parking lot.

                         

          EXT. LAFORCHE BACKYARD - LATER

          Curtis stands on top of the shipping container that rests in
          the hole roughly a foot below the yard. Wearing tinted
          goggles, he cuts a circular hole in the top of the container
          with a small blowtorch.
          The sparks stop and Curtis raises the goggles to inspect his
          work. He kicks at the weld with the heel of his boot and the
          metal falls into the container.

           68.

                         
          He sets down the torch and removes a roof turbine vent from a
          cardboard box and holds it up next to the newly cut hole.

           KYLE (O.S.)
           What the hell are you doin'?
          Curtis smiles to himself. He turns to find KYLE(42) standing
          at the edge of the hole. His hands are tucked into the back
          of his jeans and he's sizing up the work.
          Curtis steps off the roof of the shipping container onto
          ground level. He holds out a hand and Kyle shakes it, never
          taking his eyes off the unfinished shelter.

                          KYLE (CONT'D)
           What you got goin' on here?

                          CURTIS
           Just addin' on to the storm
           shelter.

                          KYLE
           Why?

                          CURTIS
           Just `cause.
          Kyle notices the PVC piping running in the trenches.

                          KYLE
           You runnin' water to it?

                          CURTIS
           Oh, yeah. From our well. Runnin'
           sewer out to the city line.

                          KYLE
           How much you spendin' on this
           thing?

                          CURTIS
           It's not bad.

                          KYLE
           Doesn't look it.
          Curtis shrugs. Kyle sees his reluctance.

                          KYLE (CONT'D)
           You take your eye off the ball one
           minute in this economy and you're
           screwed. You got the cash for
           this?

                          CURTIS
           Yeah.

           69.

                         

                          KYLE
           Don't put nothin' on credit cards.
           That shit'll eat you up.

                          CURTIS
           I'm not.
          Kyle is staring him down. Curtis just looks at the shelter.
          There's a long silence shared between them.

                          KYLE
           Samantha called me.

                          CURTIS
           I figured.
          Curtis climbs back onto the shipping container and continues
          installing the roof vent.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           Called you to come tell me to quit?

                          KYLE
           She called `cause she's worried.
           Says you've been stressed out.
          Curtis doesn't answer.

                          KYLE (CONT'D)
           So?

                          CURTIS
           So what?

                          KYLE
           You stressed out?

                          CURTIS
           No. No more than anybody else.

                          KYLE
           Work all right?

                          CURTIS
           Uh, huh...Hey, look. You wanna come
           by and have dinner sometime, Kyle.
           That's fine. We'll have a beer and
           talk about the old days, but you
           got somethin' to say just say it.

                          KYLE
           You can stop that shit right now.
           I'll come over there and remind you
           what it feels like to get your ass
           whipped.
          Curtis keeps his head down, scolded. Kyle relents.

           70.

                         

                          KYLE (CONT'D)
           I'm just coming here to check on
           you.

                          CURTIS
           Well I appreciate it Kyle.

                          KYLE
           You been to see Mom?

                          CURTIS
           Yeah. A few days ago.

                          KYLE
           She all right.

                          CURTIS
           You should see her. Take your
           girls.

                          KYLE
           Yeah. I'll get around to it.
          There's an awkward moment as Curtis works with his back to
          Kyle.

                          KYLE (CONT'D)
           You need a hand?
          Curtis turns and looks up at him. Shakes his head.

                          CURTIS
           No. I've got it.
          Kyle nods.

                          KYLE
           Okay. Call me if you need me okay?

                          CURTIS
           I will.
          Kyle looks at him for a moment. He turns and walks toward
          the driveway.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           Hey Kyle?
          Kyle turns back. Curtis climbs onto the yard and walks over
          to him.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           Actually you could do me a favor.

                          KYLE
           What's that?

           71.

                         

                          CURTIS
           You still looking for a dog?

                          KYLE
           Sure.
          Kyle looks at him.

                         

          EXT. LAFORCHE HOME/DRIVEWAY - DAY

          Curtis slaps down the tailgate to Kyle's truck, which is
          parked in the driveway. Red, tail wagging, hops up into the
          bed. Curtis closes the tailgate and sets a leash and two
          bowls into the back of the truck.
          Curtis rubs Red behind the ears.

                          CURTIS
           They got a good spot for you, okay
           bud.
          Kyle stands at the passenger door to the truck.

                          KYLE
           You sure?

                          CURTIS
           Yeah.

                          KYLE
           I know it'll make my girls happy.
           All right.
          Kyle walks around the truck to the driver's side.

                          CURTIS
           Hey Kyle?

                          KYLE
           Yeah?
          Kyle stops. Curtis walks up and hugs him. Kyle slaps him on
          the back.

                          CURTIS
           Take care of yourself.

                          KYLE
           All right. All right. I will little
           brother. You take care of your
           family. Handle your business.
           Okay?
          Curtis nods. Kyle smiles, shaking his head.

           72.

                         

                          KYLE (CONT'D)
           All right.
          Kyle climbs into the truck and cranks it. Curtis steps back
          as he pulls away. Red looks back from the bed of the truck.

                         

          INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT

          Hannah, fresh from the tub, stands to let Curtis rub her wet
          head with a towel. He finishes and stands.

                          CURTIS
           All right. Bedtime.
          Hannah looks up at him. Curtis signs his hand like a pillow
          then touches his watch. They move out of the bathroom.

                         

          INT. LAFORCHE HOME/BEDROOM - MORNING

          Curtis sits on the edge of his bed staring at the window in
          their room. He's already dressed for work.
          He watches as the thick, dark rain hits the window and
          streaks. He has a curious look on his face.
          MOVING, down the hall.
          MOVING, past the den.
          MOVING, into the kitchen.
          Curtis stops at the entry to the kitchen. Samantha, wearing
          a robe, stands with her back to him. She's cooking something
          at the stove.
          Curtis notices the back door standing open. HARD RAIN slants
          down outside. He looks down at the tile floor.
          WET FOOTPRINTS track inside.
          They lead to where Samantha is standing. She turns to him.
          She's pale with a vacant look on her face. Her hair is
          soaking wet.
          Curtis looks at her, concerned. She stares back,
          emotionless. She slowly looks down at the counter next to
          her. A kitchen knife rests there.
          Curtis looks at the knife. They look at one another again.

           73.

                         

          INT. KITCHEN - MORNING

          Curtis sits at the breakfast table across from Hannah. He
          looks over at Samantha. She cooks, her back to him. Hannah
          climbs out of her chair and goes to look out the back door.
          Samantha turns and dishes eggs onto Curtis' plate.

                          SAMANTHA
           You okay?
          She touches his hand. Curtis FLINCHES.
          Their eyes meet. He wants to take it back, and she can see
          that. It begins to sink in for her.
          Hannah vocalizes something behind them.
          Samantha looks at her husband, shakes her head in disbelief.
          Hannah makes another sound, pounds on the back door.
          Samantha turns and sees a MAN standing in their backyard.
          She flinches.

                          SAMANTHA (CONT'D)
           Who's that?
          Curtis stands to see out the back door.

                          CURTIS
           Ah shit.

                         

          EXT. LAFORCHE BACKYARD - CONTINUOUS

          Jim, Curtis' boss, stands with his hands on his hips looking
          down at the planted shipping container. Curtis approaches.

                          CURTIS
           Hey Jim.

                          JIM
           Curtis. Dewart told me you took
           equipment from work for a project
           at your house. Said that's why you
           wanted him off your crew. I came
           out here to see it myself.

                          CURTIS
           Yeah. It was just a hauler and a
           backhoe. It was Saturday. I had
           `em back in less than 8 hours.

                          JIM
           You know that doesn't matter. I
           can't even tell you how many rules
           you broke.

                          (MORE)

           74.

                         

                          JIM (CONT'D)
           What if you had an accident? Huh?
           What if you ran somebody over on
           your way out here? Lawsuit like
           that could bankrupt me.

                          CURTIS
           Well, I'm sorry Jim. I hadn't
           thought of that. Thank God nothin'
           like that happened. You know? I'll
           do whatever I can to make it right.

                          JIM
           You can pick up your last check on
           Friday. You've got two weeks
           benefits.
          Curtis nods. Accepts it.

                          CURTIS
           Did you fire Dewart?

                          JIM
           He's on two weeks leave unpaid...
           I'm sorry Curtis. You did this to
           yourself.
          Jim turns and walks out of the backyard.

                         

          INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS

          Samantha clears the table. Hannah sits, watching her father
          walk in. Curtis stops just inside the door, closes it.

                          CURTIS
           I've been fired.
          Samantha continues clearing the dishes to the sink. She
          doesn't look up.

                          SAMANTHA
           What about the health insurance?

                          CURTIS
           We get two more weeks.
          Samantha slams the plates into the sink. They break. She
          holds her head back and stares at the ceiling.
          She walks over to Curtis...

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           I'm sorry...
          ...and SLAPS him across the face.
          Hannah begins to cry.

           75.

                         
          Samantha turns and collects Hannah from the table. She grabs
          her things and walks out of the house.
          Curtis stands alone in the kitchen.

                         

          INT. AR COUNTY COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER/HALLWAY - DAY

          Curtis walks down the hallway to Kendra's office. The door
          ajar, he knocks and enters.

                         

          INT. KENDRA'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

          Curtis finds ANDY(42), a man in khakis and a button up,
          sitting behind the desk.

                          CURTIS
           Oh, `scuse me.
          Andy rises from his chair.

                          ANDY
           Are you Curtis?

                          CURTIS
           Yeah.

                          ANDY
           Come in. Kendra transferred out.
           I'll be meeting with you today.
          Curtis looks at the man. He's kind of mincing.

                          ANDY (CONT'D)
           Please, sit down.
          Curtis takes a seat.

                          CURTIS
           What happened to Kendra?

                          ANDY
           She got into a program at OSU so
           she'll be transferring near there.
           I've split her case load with
           another counselor. It's been kind
           of crazy around here lately.

                          CURTIS
           Huh.

                          ANDY
           So I've looked over your file. It
           says your mother was diagnosed with
           paranoid schizophrenia in her early
           thirties. Let's start there.

           76.

                         
          Curtis looks at the man for a moment, then stands and walks
          out of the room.

                         

          EXT. LAFORCHE HOME/DRIVEWAY - DAY

          Curtis' truck is parked in the driveway with the hood up and
          the engine running.
          Curtis stands over the vibrating engine, studying it. He
          looks at the belts. He watches them move.

                         

          INT. STORM SHELTER - DAY

          Curtis hefts a porcelain toilet down the steps of the
          shelter. A dull light glows through the new entryway that's
          been knocked out through the back left wall.
          Curtis goes through it.

          IN THE SHIPPING CONTAINER SECTION,
          Curtis sets the toilet on the floor. He picks up the camping
          lantern and holds it up to the space.
          The lack of light makes it feel more cavernous than it is.
          Two cots have been brought down as well as an assortment of
          supplies. Canned food, a small gas burner.
          Curtis hangs the lantern onto a hook on the wall and goes
          about connecting the toilet to a pipe sticking out of the
          back corner.

                         

          INT. LAFORCHE HOME - DAY

          Samantha walks inside followed by Hannah and a WOMAN from the
          flea market.

                          SAMANTHA
           I'm so sorry. I completely forgot.

                          WOMAN
           That's okay. Don't worry about it.

                          SAMANTHA
           Here. I hope you like them.
          Samantha hands over the plastic bag.

                          WOMAN
           Thanks. I brought cash.

                          SAMANTHA
           That's terrific. It's fine.

           77.

                         
          Samantha takes three twenties from her.

                          SAMANTHA (CONT'D)
           Call me if they don't work and I'm
           sorry again.

                          WOMAN
           Oh, it's okay. Thank you.
          Samantha closes the door.

          IN THE KITCHEN,
          Samantha takes the tin decorated with ocean creatures down
          from the fridge. She removes the envelope with the word
          "BEACH" written on it and takes out a stack of bills.
          She folds the bills over and stuffs them into her purse
          before placing the empty envelope back in the tin.
          She looks out back and sees Curtis sitting with Hannah.

          OUTSIDE,
          The shipping container has been covered over with dirt. Two
          rotating vents spin at either end of the brown mound. Curtis
          sits on the freshly packed dirt signing with Hannah.
          He signs something that makes her laugh. Hannah smacks a
          muddy clump between her hands. Curtis touches her nose,
          leaving a dirt smudge. Hannah laughs. She touches his face,
          smudging it.

          IN THE KITCHEN,
          Samantha watches through the back door.

                         

          INT. HANNAH'S BEDROOM - EVENING

          Samantha tucks Hannah into bed. She kisses her on the head
          and turns out the bedside lamp. Samantha leaves the room.

                         

          EXT. LAFORCHE BACKYARD - EVENING

          Samantha steps out of the house. She walks over to Curtis,
          who is standing on a grassy section of the yard over an
          assortment of auto parts. They don't speak for a moment.

                          SAMANTHA
           What's that?

                          CURTIS
           That's the alternator from the
           truck.

                          (MORE)

           78.

                         

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           I was just trying to figure out a
           way to charge enough batteries to
           run lights down there. Ah, what the
           hell? Maybe I'll hook it up to your
           old exercycle.
          Samantha almost smiles. Curtis keeps his eyes on the parts.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           You gonna leave me?
          Samantha looks at his hands. They hang by his sides.

                          SAMANTHA
           You flinched when I touched your
           hand this morning.

                          CURTIS
           I'm sorry.

                          SAMANTHA
           I was in one of your dreams?
          Curtis nods.

                          CURTIS
           Yeah.

                          SAMANTHA
           Can you deal with that?
          He holds open his hand to her. She takes it.

                          CURTIS
           Yeah.

                          SAMANTHA
           Okay. Then I made a decision. We
           cancel the beach trip. We have
           enough to cover bills for the next
           two months with your last check.
           I'm going to get a job. You're
           gonna find another job. I'm going
           to call to see if we can move
           Hannah's surgery up. We'll need to
           see what it costs to extend your
           policy to the end of the year. I
           want you to see a psychiatrist.
           Not a counselor from the free
           clinic. Someone good.

                          CURTIS
           Doctor Shannan gave me the number
           of somebody. But, uh, I just don't
           think we can afford it.

           79.

                         

                          SAMANTHA
           We'll find the money. Also, the
           Lions Club supper's this weekend.
           I want you to come with me.

                          CURTIS
           I don't want to see any of those
           people.

                          SAMANTHA
           I want you to go. I need to do
           something normal.

                          CURTIS
           All right.
          Curtis nods. Samantha let's go of his hand and walks back to
          the house. Curtis goes back to studying the auto parts.

                         

          INT. LIONS CLUB LODGE - NIGHT

          The inside of the club is a musty banquet hall with wood
          panelled walls and a drop tile ceiling. The place is packed.
          Rows of folding tables fill the center of the room. A long
          LINE has formed along the side wall that wraps to a serving
          station at the back. Heated metal bins filled with fried
          oysters and french fries.
          Curtis gets in line with his family.

          AT THE SERVING TABLE,
          Curtis holds two paper plates.

                          CURTIS
           How many pieces does Hannah get?

                          SAMANTHA
           Just one.
          Curtis uses tongs to grab pieces of fried oyster. Looking
          up, he can see back through the kitchen to an open door
          outside. Dewart stands there over a butane fired frying pot.
          He wears an apron and stares at Curtis.
          Curtis moves down the line.

                         

          INT. LIONS CLUB LODGE - LATER

          Lewis sits with Cammie and their baby. He laughs and talks
          with another man. From a different table, Russell leans over
          to eye Curtis.

           80.

                         
          Curtis sits at a table with his family. He loads Hannah's
          plate up with ketchup.
          A tap on his shoulder. Curtis turns to find Dewart standing
          over him.

                          DEWART
           What're you doin' here?

                          CURTIS
           Not here man.
          Dewart taps him on the shoulder again.

                          DEWART
           I said what are you doin' here.
          Curtis stands and Dewart takes a step back. The general
          noise of the place starts to quiet down as people take
          notice. A few stand.

                          SAMANTHA
           Curtis.

                          DEWART
           I told people what you been doin'.

                          CURTIS
           I know.

                          DEWART
           You cut me loose. Everything we
           been through.

                          CURTIS
           I know. I'm sorry.
          Dewart shoves him in the chest.

                          DEWART
           You ain't fucking sorry. You sorry
           you wouldn't cut me loose. We
           fuckin' friends! This how you
           treat friends?
          Curtis places a hand on Dewart's chest.

                          CURTIS
           Come on.
          Dewart punches Curtis in the face. It stings.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           God dammit.

           81.

                         
          Samantha gathers Hannah and moves back. Dewart shoves Curtis
          across the table. Oysters and bottles go everywhere. The
          entire room is on its feet watching.
          Curtis slips getting up. Dewart walks around the table,
          heading for him.

                          SAMANTHA

           STOP IT DEWART!
          Curtis stands and kicks Dewart in the knee. It buckles back
          and he's on the floor. He cries out and grabs the twisted
          joint. He's done.
          Curtis paces over him, covered in ketchup and soda. He
          shouts down at him.

                          CURTIS

           I SAID NOT HERE! GOD DAMNIT!
          He wipes at his face. Sees all of the people staring at him.
          Addresses them.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           You think I'm crazy?! Huh! Is that
           what he told you!
          Curtis TURNS OVER A TABLE. He points to the gawking crowd.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           Well, listen up! There is a storm
           comin' like nothing you have ever
           seen. And not a one of you is
           prepared for it.

                          (PACING)
           You think I'm crazy? I'M TALKIN'

           TO YOU RUSSELL!

                          (PACING)
           LEWIS! You think I'm a thief?
          Hannah watches. THE SOUND MUTED. She looks on as Curtis
          paces, pointing and yelling, red faced at the crowd.
          Curtis backs off.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           Sleep well in your beds. Cause if
           this thing comes true, there ain't
           gonna be any more.
          Curtis looks down at Dewart.
          He turns to see Hannah. She's tucked under her Mother's leg
          crying. This hits him hard. He stops. Looking at Samantha,
          his eyes fill with tears.

           82.

                         
          Samantha, leading Hannah by the hand, walks to Curtis. He
          stares at her, on the verge of breaking down.
          She takes her hand and gently pulls his head down to her
          shoulder. Without another look toward the crowd, Samantha
          leads her family out of the dining hall.

                         

          EXT. LAFORCHE HOME - DAY

          Hannah stands on a toolbox and rests her elbows on the side
          of Curtis' truck. The hood is open. She watches her father
          fiddle with re-installing the alternator. His fingers
          covered in grease.
          Hannah steps down from the toolbox and walks into the front
          yard. Curtis pauses, hearing a high-pitched, warbling SOUND
          in the distance. He notices Hannah is gone.

                          CURTIS
           Hannah?
          He pulls his head out from the hood and sees Hannah standing
          on the curb. She looks down the street. He runs down his
          driveway, wiping his hands on a rag and watching the horizon.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           Hannah!
          A FLOCK OF BIRDS, flying in intricate geometric patterns,
          swarm above the house at the end of the street. They twist
          and bend into speckled black shapes.
          Hannah, watching, walks into the street. Curtis catches her
          by the hand. He turns away from the birds to see a STORM
          CELL building on the opposite horizon. He scoops Hannah into
          his arms, stepping back from it.
          The SOUND of the birds grows louder. Curtis pivots to find
          the mass of birds barreling down the street toward him. He
          turns away as the wall of birds crash past him. The force so
          powerful it knocks him backward.
          He covers Hannah's head, dodging the onslaught of wind and
          wings. The Flock passes. Curtis stands, his face cut and
          scraped. Hannah cries, clinging to his chest.

          SMASH!
          The windshield of a car parked next to him SHATTERS. Curtis
          looks at the broken glass. A dead bird, it's neck broken,
          rests crumpled on the hood.

          SMACK!

           83.

                         
          Another bird crashes into the asphalt just in front of him.
          Then another. Curtis looks up. The Flock of birds are
          circling overhead and diving down at him.
          More birds crashing to the ground. Curtis covers his head.
          The neighborhood's tornado SIRENS begin to sound.
          Curtis rushes Hannah toward his front door as dozens of birds
          plummet from the sky. The sirens BLARING.

                         

          INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

          Curtis wakes to Samantha shaking him by the shoulders. She's
          nearly on top of him in the bed.

                          SAMANTHA
           Curtis! Wake up! Wake up!
          TORNADO SIRENS continue to scream throughout the
          neighborhood.
          Curtis looks to the window. Rain and hail are battering the
          house. He jumps to his feet and grabs Samantha by the arm.
          They rush out of the room.

                         

          INT. HANNAH'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

          Curtis bursts into the room. Hannah is standing at the
          window looking out. Curtis scoops her up, scaring her. She
          begins to cry as they run from the room.

                         

          EXT. LAFORCHE BACKYARD - NIGHT

          Wind blows fiercely as pellets of hail bounce off the ground.
          Rain cuts at a sharp angle. The Tornado Sirens continue.
          Curtis, Hannah in his arms and Samantha close behind, exits
          the back of the house and heads to the storm shelter. He
          passes Hannah to Samantha and fumbles with the padlock keys.
          At the doors to the shelter, Samantha holds her robe up to
          shield Hannah from the hail. Curtis gets the lock and opens
          the door. They go inside.

                         

          INT. STORM SHELTER - CONTINUOUS

          Curtis slams the doors behind them. It's pitch black until
          he gets to the switch on the lantern. The room fills with
          the orange glow as Curtis snaps the padlock through the door
          handles.

           84.

                         

                          CURTIS
           Come on. It's okay.
          Curtis leads them through the entry to the larger section of
          the shelter. Samantha takes Hannah and sits with her on one
          of the cots. She's signing to her, trying to calm her down.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           It's okay. All right. Come on. Sit
           down.
          Curtis goes to a trunk in the corner and begins rooting
          through it. He removes two gas masks and an oxygen mask
          connected to a small tank.
          He goes over and kneels in front of Hannah. He tries
          slipping the oxygen mask over her face. Samantha grabs his
          wrist.

                          SAMANTHA
           No. Don't do that.

                          CURTIS
           It's okay. It's oxygen. Here. Put
           this on.
          Curtis hands Samantha a gas mask.

                          SAMANTHA
           Are you kidding?

                          CURTIS
           Please just do it. Okay?
          He looks to Hannah and places an oxygen mask over her face..

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           There we go. All right. Keep it out
           of your eyes. Okay?
          He signs to her.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           Hey. I love you. It's okay.
          Curtis eases on the knob at the top of the tank.
          He climbs onto the cot and puts his arm around them. He
          slips on his gas mask.
          Samantha is hesitant. She looks at her husband in the mask
          and leans back against the side of the container. Hannah
          looks up at her. She touches her mother's mask.
          Samantha slips on the gas mask.

           85.

                         
          The camping lantern on the floor casts long shadows up. The
          faint boom of thunder rolls softly outside.
          The family sits huddled together on the cot, wearing their
          masks.

                         

          INT. STORM SHELTER - LATER

          A CRACK of thunder rattles the shelter. Curtis snaps awake,
          still wearing his gas mask.
          Samantha has climbed on the other cot and is asleep. Hannah
          sleeps under Curtis' arm. He gently lays her down on the cot
          and stands to stretch.
          He walks into the original section of the shelter and grabs a
          small flashlight off the metal shelving. He clicks it on and
          moves over to the concrete steps.
          He takes a seat and listens. He places his hand onto the
          metal door. A BOOM of thunder.
          He can hear the rain and wind blowing outside.

                         

          INT. STORM SHELTER - LATER

          Samantha rubs Curtis' shoulder, gently waking him.

                          SAMANTHA
           Wake up babe.
          Curtis' head moves. He sees that Samantha and Hannah have
          removed their masks.

                          CURTIS
           Where's your mask?

                          SAMANTHA
           We took them off. It's fine. Take
           it off.

                          CURTIS
           No.
          Curtis hesitates.

                          SAMANTHA
           We're fine. Take it off.
          Curtis slips the mask off his face. Worried, he takes a
          breath.

                          SAMANTHA (CONT'D)
           You need to open the door now.

           86.

                         
          Curtis doesn't move. He looks at them.

                          CURTIS

                          (MUMBLES)
           What if it's...What if it's not
           over?

                          SAMANTHA
           What?

                          CURTIS
           What if it's not over?

                          SAMANTHA
           It's over. Get the keys. Open the
           door.
          Curtis slowly gets to his feet. He sees the dark entryway to
          the original section of the shelter. Taking the lantern, he
          walks to it.
          Samantha and Hannah follow.
          Curtis stops just inside. He holds the lantern up,
          illuminating the padlocked metal doors.
          He looks back at his family, then climbs the steps. He
          places his hand on the door. He flinches.

                          CURTIS
           It's still storming.

                          SAMANTHA
           No. It's not.

                          CURTIS
           I can hear it.
          Samantha stares at him. The room is silent.

                          SAMANTHA
           I don't hear anything.

                          CURTIS
           Put your hand on the door. You can
           feel it.
          He takes Samantha's wrist and guides her to the doors. He
          watches her face as she places a hand against the metal. She
          looks at him, her eyes getting red, and shakes her head "no".
          Curtis kneels in front of Hannah and mimics the signs from
          earlier.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           (signing and speaking)
           Thunder? Do you feel it?

           87.

                         
          He flinches again. Looks to the ceiling

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           (signing and speaking)
           You feel it? You feel it?
          Hannah walks to her mother. Samantha holds onto her.
          Curtis steps back from them. They watch him, their backs to
          the doors. He flinches and covers his mouth.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           I'm sorry.

                          SAMANTHA
           Baby, there's no storm outside.

                          CURTIS
           I'm sorry.
          Samantha walks over to him.

                          SAMANTHA
           Curtis. I wouldn't lie to you. We
           love you very much. Please open
           the door.
          Curtis is on the verge of tears.
          He slowly reaches into his jeans pocket. He removes the
          keys. He holds them out to Samantha.

                          CURTIS
           I'm sorry. I can't.
          Samantha looks at the keys, then at Curtis. Tears shake from
          his trembling face.

                          SAMANTHA
           I love you, but if I open the door,
           then nothin's gonna change. You'll
           see that everything's fine, but
           nothing will change. Please. This
           is what it means to stay with us.
           This is something you have to do.
          He looks at Hannah, then Samantha. Curtis steadies himself,
          trying to control his flinching. He wipes his face with the
          back of his hands and takes a deep breath.
          Curtis walks toward the doors. On the steps, he reaches up
          to the padlock. The keys shake in his fingers. He turns to
          Samantha.

                          CURTIS
           Could you move Hannah back?

           88.

                         
          Samantha picks Hannah up in her arms and Curtis watches them
          retreat to the rear wall.
          He goes back to the lock. He inserts the key. The padlock
          pops open. Curtis removes it. He looks back at Samantha,
          then flings open the doors.

          SUNLIGHT.
          It's blinding. Curtis holds his hand up to cover his eyes.
          He stares up at a crystal blue sky. Samantha watches as
          Curtis steps out of the shelter.

                         

          EXT. LAFORCHE BACKYARD - CONTINUOUS

          Curtis rises through the storm shelter's entryway. Out of
          the corner of his eye he catches,

          A MAN PASSING BY.
          Curtis is startled. He turns to see a CREW of MEN from the
          power company hoisting a ladder onto the pole at the corner
          of the house. A power line dangles overhead.
          He turns to see NEIGHBORS in their yards clearing debris.
          Leaves and branches clutter the ground. The aftermath of a
          storm.
          Samantha steps out of the shelter holding Hannah. She
          surveys the damage.

                          CURTIS
           It's fine.
          She walks over to Curtis and hugs him. He kisses Samantha on
          the head. Curtis looks up at the sky.

                         

          INT. PSYCHIATRIST OFFICE - DAY

          Curtis sits with Samantha in the plush office of a
          PSYCHIATRIST(56). Curtis rubs his hand over the soft leather
          upholstery on the couch.

                          PSYCHIATRIST
           Do you have any vacation time that
           you could use?

                          CURTIS
           I don't have a job right now.

                          PSYCHIATRIST
           Well, I know that times are hard,
           but I think it's really important
           for you to separate yourself from
           that storm shelter.

                          (MORE)

           89.

                         

                          PSYCHIATRIST (CONT'D)
           I think you need to break away from
           it for awhile. We can start you on
           some medication that I think will
           help, but that action alone would
           mean a lot.

                          SAMANTHA
           We usually go on a trip to Myrtle
           Beach every summer. We were gonns
           go this month.

                          PSYCHIATRIST
           I think that would be okay if we
           start the medication now. It would
           give you all some time to prepare
           as a family, but I want to be
           clear, when Curtis gets back he'll
           need to take more time than that.

                          SAMANTHA
           What does that mean?

                          PSYCHIATRIST
           I mean that he'll need hands on
           therapy at a real facility.
          Curtis looks up for the first time.

                          CURTIS
           You mean I have to leave my family.

                          PSYCHIATRIST
           I think you need to seriously
           commit to some treatment.
          Curtis processes this. Samantha takes his hand.

                         

          EXT. BEACH/CONDO - DAY

          Curtis scoops handfuls of sand out of a foot deep hole on the
          beach. He slops the wet mixture into a castle shaped bucket,
          his back to the shoreline of gentle, breaking waves.

                          CURTIS
           (signing and speaking)
           Hey. Good, huh?
          Hannah sits on her knees in front of Curtis sprinkling dry
          sand over castle shaped mounds already formed.

                         

          INT. CONDO - DAY

          Samantha drops four hotdogs into a boiling pot of water and
          stirs a bubbling pot of canned chili.

           90.

                         
          The beach condo is small, but brightly furnished.

                         

          EXT. CONDO/BEACH - DAY

          The wooden deck hangs off the back of the beach condo. A
          picnic table is set with plastic place mats and forks. WIND
          lifts the corner of a stack of napkins. The wind blows
          harder, fanning the napkins off the table.

          ON THE BEACH,
          Curtis, still working in the sand, puts a top on the sand
          castle.

                          CURTIS
           Good. We put a top on it.
          Curtis smooths out the sand in the castle shaped bucket and
          turns it over to top off their sand mound. He hands the
          bucket over for Hannah to refill.
          The SOUND of the waves behind them has STOPPED. They don't
          notice.
          Curtis takes two fingers and digs a small trench around the
          sand castle.

                         
          Curtis looks up ready to sign the letters but sees Hannah
          staring at the water. She looks at him and signs something
          with her hands.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           What is it honey?
          Curtis misses it. He shakes his head, "no", and Hannah signs
          again, slowly: "S-T-O-R-M".

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           What?
          Curtis turns to the shoreline, getting to his feet.
          He looks down at Hannah, who watches, mesmerized. Scared,
          she looks to her father. He grabs her under the arms and
          rests her on his hip. She buries her head into his chest.

          AT THE CONDO,
          A gust of wind greets Samantha as she walks out onto the deck
          holding a plate of hotdogs and a bowl of chili. She stops,
          seeing the horizon. Her mouth falls open.
          She slowly sets the plate and bowl down on the table, her
          mind racing. She looks down at Curtis in disbelief.

           91.

                         
          Curtis looks up to the Condo and makes eye contact. He
          studies her face.
          Samantha looks at her husband, trying to process it all. She
          looks out at the horizon then back down to Curtis. Concern
          on her face, she nods to him.
          Curtis sees her nod.
          Samantha's eyes, still locked on Curtis, soften, as if to
          apologize. After a moment, she mouths to him, "I love you."
          Curtis nods back to her.
          She looks back up to the shoreline.

          ON THE BEACH,
          Curtis' feet kick up sand as he rushes back toward the condo.

          AT THE CONDO,
          Samantha hasn't moved from the porch. A light rain begins to
          fall. Her hands grip the railing. She turns her left palm
          up. Dark rain collects there.

          ON THE HORIZON IN FRONT OF HER,

          THE WATER HAS RECEDED INTO THE GULF SOME 100 YARDS. THE DARK

          SANDY BOTTOM LOOKS ODD STRETCHED OUT SO FAR. A STORM CELL

          SITS MASSED ON THE HORIZON. CHURNING BLACK CLOUDS FILLED

          WITH LAYERS OF HORIZONTAL LIGHTNING.
          Behind Samantha, Curtis appears in the open sliding door
          clutching Hannah. The Storm Cell is reflected in the glass
          next to him.

                          CURTIS (CONT'D)
           Sam.
          Samantha looks down at her palm. She rubs the thick, viscous
          rain in her fingers. She looks back up at the storm.
          On Samantha's face,

                          SAMANTHA
           Okay.

           THE END.

                          


Take Shelter



Writers :   Jeff Nichols
Genres :   Drama  Thriller


User Comments







Index    |    Submit    |    Link to IMSDb    |    Disclaimer    |    Privacy policy    |    Contact