Screenplay / Paradox

FADE IN:

INT. ANDREW’S BEDROOM – DAWN

A single streak of sunlight escapes through the slats of a window, hitting the wood floor as it trespasses on the dimly lit room.

Sitting on the edge of a bed, trembling, JOSEPHINE holds ANDREW’S lifeless body in her arms as she sobs.

After a few moments, the room seems to get a little bit lighter as the beam of light from the window catches Josephine’s attention.

When she turns to look at it, the light grows brighter and broader until it finally devours the room in a curtain of white.

INT. HALLWAY

At the end of a stark, beige hallway, a door opens. NOEL, a young man with white, thick-rimmed glasses and a simple but elegant suit enters.

He walks awkwardly up the hall, blinking just a little too often as he goes. When he reaches the end, he stops and adjusts his tie then moves into the room beyond the hallway.

INT. THE WHITE ROOM

Noel enters from the hallway, timidly peering into the completely white room before moving all the way in.

This room is even more bare than the previous hallway, except for a window at the other end, where light flows in, filling the room with energy.

As Noel walks the rest of the way in, a little smile forms on his face when he sees the window. As he starts towards it, Josephine, mid-twenties with unhopeful eyes, suddenly appears behind him, startling him.

He turns around, holding a hand to his chest.

        NOEL
Do you do that on purpose?

        JOSEPHINE
I’m trying to teach you not to be so anxious all the time.

        NOEL
Well sneaking up on me doesn’t exactly remedy the problem you know.

        JOSEPHINE
Yeah, yeah. Are you ready?

        NOEL
After I catch my breath.

        JOSEPHINE
Good. Let’s go then.

        NOEL
Where are we gonna start this time?

        JOSEPHINE
I was thinking seventeenth century.

        NOEL
You always pick that.

        JOSEPHINE
Well, then why’d you ask?

        NOEL
I get to pick this time.

        JOSEPHINE
Fine.

        NOEL
Twenty-first century.

She rolls her eyes.

        JOSEPHINE
All I did was scare you a little, and you get back at me like this?

        NOEL
In an enlightened society such as ours we don’t yield to revenge- we return favors.

He smiles like the Cheshire Cat, with a hint of playfulness, then moves to Josephine’s side. Staring straight ahead, the blank walls around them begin to change color.

At first, the colors swirl together, each one indiscernible from the next, until they begin to unfurl across the walls, running down like paint as they move steadily towards the floor. After a few moments, every inch of white is covered.

As the colors settle, they start to form into two-dimensional images on the flat walls around them. The images instantly start to come alive, transforming into an overwhelmingly three-dimensional CITY STREET.

EXT. STREET

Josephine and Noel start walking along the sidewalk, nonchalantly, as the other senses catch up with the images. First the sound of cars and people, then a light breeze.

Noel smiles, taking it all in. Bored, Josephine sighs as she watches people hurry past them, ignorantly going about their day.

On the street next to them, a car screeches to a halt when another car cuts him off. HORNS WAILING, the drivers scream at each other.

Disgusted, Josephine looks less than thrilled and makes a noise, agitated. Noel turns to her, awaiting her complaints.

        NOEL
What?

        JOSEPHINE
I can’t believe we lived like this for so long.

        NOEL
They seem happy. Sort of.

        JOSEPHINE
How could they possibly be happy living like this?

        NOEL
  (sighing)
Like what?

        JOSEPHINE
In darkness. Not knowing anything about the laws that govern the world around them. The laws which ultimately control their lives and condemn them to death. (beat) It just seems so pointless to me.

        NOEL
Well, there must’ve been something to the pointless existence they lived since they eventually became us.

Josephine frowns and looks away, silently conceding to the truthfulness of Noel’s argument. The two continue down the street, approaching a cross walk.

The traffic signal is red and cars roar through the intersection. Pedestrians wait on either side of the street for the light to change. Josephine and Noel step past the people onto the street, going unnoticed.

As they walk across the crosswalk they disappear between the cars and finally resurface on the other side of the street, untouched. They then continue side by side, watching the people around them as they stroll past the shops.

In the distance, a tall MAN with a parrot appears, heading towards them. He has crazy, lopsided hair and a permanently raised, ELVIS LIP. As he nears, they hear him making strange, GUTTERAL noises to the bird.

Noel stops, head turning, as the man passes. Completely enticed, he bites his lip then turns back to Josephine.

        NOEL
Would you mind if I-

        JOSEPHINE
Go.

He smiles excitedly, and as he goes:

        NOEL
I’ll catch up with you later!

She waves him off and continues on her way, alone.

EXT. CITY – LATE AFTERNOON

Smog rises from the traffic-filled street into the orange sky above as the sun starts to descend behind the hills.
At a table outside a café, Josephine sits, arms-folded, less thrilled than before.

Taking a deep breath, she looks up from the table to watch a WOMAN with a stroller and two kids approach the ice cream store next door to the café. The woman sends the two kids inside the store with some money, and waits, sipping a tall juice drink.

In spite of herself, Josephine cracks a smile as she observes the content mother. Less than a moment later, ANDREW, a man in his late twenties, rushes out of the café, holding a bag of food.

Glancing down at his watch and muttering to himself, Andrew runs right smack into the mother, spilling her drink all over her and knocking her to the ground.

        WOMAN
Hey!

        ANDREW
Sorry!

The woman holds her hand out for assistance, but Andrew just runs past her, rudely. A moment later, the woman’s kids come out and rush to her side.

Fuming, Josephine gets up and follows the man to his car.

EXT. PARKING LOT

As Andrew reaches his car, Josephine is suddenly gone. He fumbles with his keys, then hurriedly unlocks the door and opens it, throwing his bag into the backseat.

INT. ANDREW’S CAR

Andrew gets in quickly. As he starts the car, the invisible Josephine watches from the passenger seat with a frown. He pulls out of his space quickly, without looking. A car behind him honks.

        ANDREW
  (to the car)
Sorry!

EXT. HIGHWAY

Andrew’s car zips in and out of traffic, dangerously, then turns onto a smaller side road, heading towards the hills.

INT. ANDREW’S CAR

Driving with one hand, Andrew uses his other hand to frantically switch between radio stations. His eyes dart back and forth from the road to the radio as he curses under his breath.

        ANDREW
Come on. Where is it?

Sitting quietly in the passenger seat, Josephine watches with a mix of abhorrence and curiosity as she tries to figure him out.

As the road starts to become more isolated, curving up through the hills, Andrew finally reaches an AM station broadcasting the weather.

        RADIO
...high eighties to mid-nineties in some areas throughout the Southland. The Inland Empire had a high of ninety-eight today…

        ANDREW
Say it!

        RADIO
Now for your sunrise and sunset times.

        ANDREW
Thank you!

        RADIO
The sun rose at 5:58 this morning and is estimated to set at 6:24 this evening…

Andrew glances at the clock in the dashboard. It reads: 6:11. He lets out a sigh of relief and turns off the radio, finally concentrating on the road.

Pondering his actions, Josephine scrutinizes the stranger more closely.

EXT. ROAD

The evening sun casts long shadows on the empty road as Andrew’s car moves up the hill. Rounding a curve, the sun’s blinding orange glow hits the little car as it breaks free from the shadows.

Andrew pulls off to the side of the road and gets out with his bag from the café, Josephine following close behind him.

Smiling, he walks towards the edge of the hill, directly facing the setting sun. He sits down and pulls a hamburger out of the bag, taking a deep breath before plunging his teeth into it.

Hovering a couple feet behind him, Josephine glances at the sunset then back at Andrew. Shocked and angry, she moves closer to him.

        JOSEPHINE
What are you doing?!

Startled, Andrew jumps up from the ground, dropping his hamburger in the process. Breathing heavily, he turns and finds Josephine standing there behind him.

        ANDREW
Where the heck did you come from?

        JOSEPHINE
Answer my question.

        ANDREW
What?!

        JOSEPHINE
What are you doing?!

        ANDREW
I’m watching the sunset.

        JOSEPHINE
Why?

        ANDREW
What do you mean “why”?

        JOSEPHINE
Don’t tell me you rushed and drove like a maniac just to see the sun go down.

Andrew pauses, eyes narrow.

        ANDREW
Who are you?

She folds her arms.

        JOSEPHINE
Who are you?

        ANDREW
My name’s Andrew.

Without looking back at him:

        JOSEPHINE
Josephine.

Andrew cracks a smile, finally relaxing.

        ANDREW
Josephine?

As he bends down to pick up his hamburger, she turns around.

        JOSEPHINE
Is there something wrong with my name?

        ANDREW
No… I mean, it’s just that-

        JOSEPHINE
What?!

He blows on the hamburger and a small cloud of dirt floats off.

        ANDREW
You ruined my dinner.

She finally looks back at him and the soiled hamburger.

        JOSEPHINE
You should thank me. You’ll probably live longer.

He laughs out loud.
        ANDREW
If only it were that easy.

He sits back down where he had been before and pulls out a plate of French fries. Josephine sighs and moves closer to him.

        JOSEPHINE
If only what were that easy?

He picks out a few fries and starts to eat them.

        ANDREW
   (chewing)
Living.

She thinks about it for a moment, a confused look on her face.

        JOSEPHINE
I don’t get it.

Suddenly his face grows somber.

        ANDREW
  (quietly)
Neither do I.

Stuffing some more fries in his mouth, he turns his attention back to the sunset. Josephine’s eyes linger on him for a few moments before she kneels down next to him.

She watches the sun, taking in it’s elegant beauty, then turns to Andrew, more relaxed now.

        JOSEPHINE
You really did come all the way here just to see the sunset.

He doesn’t take his eyes off it.

        ANDREW
Everyday it’s different. The colors, the clouds, the intensity. It’s never the same.

        JOSEPHINE
  (surprised)
You come here everyday?

        ANDREW
I try to. Even if it means I have to “drive like a maniac” to get here.

        JOSEPHINE
Why?

        ANDREW
Look at it.

By now, the sun is almost gone, with only a whisper of color left to light their silhouettes. Andrew finishes off his fries, truly content, then finally turns back to her.

        ANDREW
So… Josephine was it?

She shoots him a look.

        JOSEPHINE
Do you have a problem with my name?

        ANDREW
No. I’ve just never met a Josephine before.

        JOSEPHINE
It’s a good thing I came along then.

He grins, obviously charmed, then stares at her for a moment, thinking.

        ANDREW
You wouldn’t wanna see the sunset tomorrow, would you?

        JOSEPHINE
I would.

She looks away and there’s a pause.

        ANDREW
I meant…with me.

She turns back with a playful grin.

        JOSEPHINE
I know.

Smiling, he gets up and extends a hand to help her up.

        ANDREW
I can’t wait.

After Josephine is back on her feet, Andrew picks up his trash from the ground and starts walking towards his car.

        JOSEPHINE
  (to herself)
I don’t have to.

Suddenly, everything FREEZES and the images around her start to flatten back into a two-dimensional world. After a moment, the outline of the wall becomes visible in the images as THICK GOBS OF WHITE starts to pour down from the ceiling, overtaking the images until we are back in the WHITE ROOM.

INT. THE WHITE ROOM

Smiling, Josephine stares at the ivory walls around her for a moment, thinking. Then, color starts to drip from the ceiling, and, in one quick sweep, overruns the whole room.

As the two-dimensional images start to form around her, Josephine turns and looks in every direction. First, the room is overwhelmed with bright blasts of orange and pink, then light streaks of violet peek through on the edge of the other two colors.

Before long, the image becomes complete and we find ourselves back in the hills at the same place as before – only the sunset is different.

As the images become three-dimensional, they suddenly come alive. The colors are brighter and the atmosphere is more intense.

EXT. HILLS

Josephine walks towards the edge of the hill to stare at the overwhelming sunset as the rest of the senses catch up. A few moments later, Andrew’s car pulls up. He gets out and rushes over to her, holding two bags from the café.

        ANDREW
Hey.

        JOSEPHINE
Hi.

        ANDREW
Have you been here long?

        JOSEPHINE
Not at all.

        ANDREW
Good.

He motions towards the ground and they both sit down next to each other. As if for the first time that day, he notices the extraordinarily brilliant sunset before him.

        ANDREW
I’ve never seen one this beautiful.

He looks back at her, with the same awe as he had for the setting sun. Josephine looks away, nervously averting her eyes. He stares at her for a moment longer, then picks up the bags of food and gives one to her.

        ANDREW
Even though you owe me dinner, I decided to be a gentleman and bring something anyway.

        JOSEPHINE
Thank you.

He opens his bag and pulls out a can of soda, a bag of potato chips and a hot dog. She looks up at him in disbelief.

        JOSEPHINE
Are you trying to kill yourself?

        ANDREW
Hey, I have to make up for the arteries I would’ve clogged yesterday if it hadn’t been for you.

        JOSEPHINE
You’re gonna die when you’re forty.

        ANDREW
I could only be so lucky.

She scowls, obviously not pleased with his attitude. After a few seconds she turns to the bag in front of her and opens it.

As Andrew starts to dig into his dinner, Josephine pulls her own food out and just stares at it.

        ANDREW
Aren’t you gonna eat it?

        JOSEPHINE
Only if you tell me why you really come here everyday.

        ANDREW
I told you.

        JOSEPHINE
Yeah, but why?

        ANDREW
Sheesh, can’t a guy watch an act of nature without an ulterior motive?

Seeing her less-than-amused expression, Andrew sighs. He pauses for a little while, staring past her, thinking, his mood more serious. Finally he looks at her.

        ANDREW
The day I found out, I promised myself I would never miss one of these again.

        JOSEPHINE
The day you found what out?

        ANDREW
That I have cancer.

She stares at him for a moment, processing the information.

        JOSEPHINE
You have cancer?

        ANDREW
Well, it’s more like cancer has me, but yeah.

He cracks a smile, his normal demeanor starting to return. Her face darkens.

        JOSEPHINE
I’m- I’m sorry.

        ANDREW
Don’t be. I have a whole year left. Some people only get a few months. I’m lucky.

        JOSEPHINE
How can you be so positive?

        ANDREW
Simple.

He gestures to the sunset.

        ANDREW
If it’s this beautiful here, I can only imagine what it’s going to be like in the life to come.

Her gaze moves from the sunset back to Andrew who has started to eat again. After a few moments, she gives in and takes a bite of her hot dog. Andrew grins.

        ANDREW
So, Josephine- if that’s really your name- what do you do?

        JOSEPHINE
Me?

She nervously takes another bite of the hot dog.

        JOSEPHINE
I, uh- I travel.

        ANDREW
I bet you meet people a lot more interesting than me.

Josephine stares a him for a few moments as she finishes swallowing her food. Unsure how to judge her response, Andrew recoils.

        ANDREW
I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-

Cutting him off, Josephine moves in and kisses Andrew. As she does, the world around them slows to a halt. For that extended moment, the two of them exist outside the constraints of time.

Just before Andrew opens his eyes, everything returns to normal. He smiles.

        JOSEPHINE
                 (quietly)
Actually I don’t.

        ANDREW
Don’t what?

        JOSEPHINE
Meet people like you. Especially not here.

        ANDREW
Do you usually meet interesting people in the hills?

She laughs and Andrew leans in to kiss her again. More comfortable with each other this time, the kiss lasts even longer than the first.

In the background, standing next to Andrew’s car, NOEL watches silently. Feeling his presence, Josephine pulls away from Andrew and glances at Noel. Their eyes meet for a long moment.

Concerned, Andrew glances in the same direction and only sees his car.

        ANDREW
What is it?

Her eyes linger on Noel for a moment longer, then finally turn back to Andrew.

        JOSEPHINE
Nothing.

She forces a smile and moves closer to him as they resume their previous activity. In the background, Noel just shakes his head, his eyes sorrowful.

While the two kiss, the sun sets several times, the colors slightly different each time as the days pass by.

EXT. PSYCHIC SHOP – EVENING

Andrew’s car parks on the street next to the psychic. Above the shop, on the second story, is a small, lit window.

INT. ANDREW’S APARTMENT

The doorknob to the front door turns, then the door opens. Andrew appears, Josephine behind him with one hand over her eyes and the other holding onto his shoulder.

        ANDREW
No peeking.

        JOSEPHINE
Okay, okay.

He leads her in a few feet, then places her hand on the wall next to her.

        ANDREW
Wait here for a moment.

He hurries into the kitchen, out of view for a few moments.

        JOSPEHINE
How’d you find this place?

        ANDREW
  (O.S.)
I know the people downstairs.

        JOSEPHINE
The psychics?

He comes out of the kitchen with a couple candles and a matchbook and places them on the table.

        ANDREW
Yeah, they own the building. I needed a place to live and they needed to rent out the top floor, so it worked out nicely.

He goes back in the kitchen and brings plates and silverware.

        JOSEPHINE
Are they really psychic?

        ANDREW
I’m not sure, but once they told me that my car would break down and it did.

        JOSEPHINE
Really?

        ANDREW
Yeah, but the car was smoking when they said that.

She laughs as he goes back to the kitchen, returning with a couple serving dishes which he places in the center of the table.

        ANDREW
I’m almost done.

        JOSEPHINE
Good, ‘cause I’m getting the strangest urge to peek.

He goes back to the kitchen one last time, returning with two wine glasses and a large bottle of something. After he sets it all down on the table, he hurries back to her and takes her hand, leading her to the little table.

        ANDREW
Okay.

        JOSEPHINE
I can look?

        ANDREW
Yeah.

She takes the hand off her face and immediately a surprised smile forms.

        JOSEPHINE
You made dinner!

        ANDREW
Yeah, but look at what it is.

He uncovers the serving dishes to reveal grilled chicken and steamed vegetables.

        ANDREW
You inspired me.

        JOSEPHINE
Aww, and just when I was getting used to junk food.

Andrew hurries to pull out the chair for her. After she sits down, he opens the bottle on the table and fills her glass with a clear liquid. When he’s done, he fills his own glass then sits down.

        ANDREW
Sparkling water to be extra healthy.

He holds his glass up and she follows.

        JOSEPHINE
What are we drinking to?

There’s a pause as Andrew stares at her in complete adoration.

        ANDREW
My reason to live.

Taken by surprise, Josephine doesn’t know how to react.

        JOSEPHINE
Andrew-

        ANDREW
I’m in love with you.

Unable to speak, she just puts her glass down. Eyes wide with sincerity, Andrew reaches across the table and takes her hand.

        ANDREW
I know it seems quick, but I couldn’t afford to let another minute go by without telling you.

Josephine looks down, still silent. He watches her impatiently for a few moments, until he can’t take it anymore.

        ANDREW
Josephine?

She begins to tremble. Concerned, Andrew gets up and moves to her side, still holding her hand.

        ANDREW
Josephine?

He shakes her hand slightly and she finally looks up at him, her eyes moist with tears.

        JOSEPHINE
  (quietly)
I don’t deserve you.

Andrew kneels down next to her chair and takes both her hands into his own.

        ANDREW
You’re right. You deserve better.

Wasting no time, Andrew pulls her into his arms in a tight embrace. As they hug, Josephine closes her eyes and mouths the words: “I Love You” over his shoulder.

INT. ANDREW’S APARTMENT – ADJOINING LIVING ROOM

Quietly reflecting, Josephine waits upon an old, mint-green couch in the adjoining living room of the apartment.

Sounds of dishes and running water can be heard from the kitchen for a few moments, until they stop and Andrew appears with two big bowls and spoons as he makes his way past the table into the living room area.

Josephine looks up, forcing a smile from her melancholy face, and Andrew offers her one of the bowls.

        ANDREW
My specialty.

She peers into the bowl and sees a spectacle of an ice cream sundae. Five giants scoops of ice cream drowning in a sea of fudge and toppings. Her reaction is that of disgust and surprise.

        JOSEPHINE
What happened to the new leaf you were turning over?

He sits down next to her and grins like a little boy.

        ANDREW
Why do you think I made such a healthy dinner?

He starts digging in, scarfing with glee while Josephine just stares at her bowl. After a moment, she starts to pick at it a little while she returns to the silent reflections from a minute earlier.

He looks up at her from his bowl, then stops.

        ANDREW
Josephine?

She puts the bowl down on the coffee table in front of them, her face growing darker. Slowly, her eyes meet his.

        JOSEPHINE
  (slowly, quietly)
I know I have no right, but…

        ANDREW
No, what is it?

        JOSEPHINE
Can I ask you a question?

        ANDREW
Of course.

        JOSEPHINE
  (taking a breath)
How… How are you not afraid?

Lowering his bowl to his lap, Andrew’s whole demeanor changes as he takes her question in- considering it, searching his soul for the answer. After a few moments, he opens his mouth, then stops and takes another moment to think. Then finally he replies, his voice unsteady at first.

        ANDREW
                  (hesitant)
In the beginning I was…afraid. The first month I got rid of every clock and calendar I had, then the watches…I even put white-out over the little clock at the corner of my computer screen.

He sighs as he recalls that period of his life, the long-since repressed emotions flowing back with every word.

        ANDREW
It got to the point where I couldn’t even go outside anymore because every time I did, I realized that the one clock I couldn’t escape was the sun. It couldn’t be tossed out or covered up, and it would never break. Every morning it came up and every evening it went down… “Like clockwork”.
  (beat)
I was sure it was created just to remind me that each day it rose and set was one less day I had here. So I turned the self-pity that paranoia created into anger and decided to go and face him one day, and I did. I guess I thought if I showed him that I knew his agenda instead of hiding in my apartment like a wounded animal everyday, he would give up and I’d live a little longer.
  (beat)
So I went to that spot to finally face him down and suddenly I wondered how many other people were doing the same thing I was: facing the inevitable fate that we all must face. I realized that day that sooner or later the sun would sink on all of us. But I also knew that just as the sun sets every day, it always rises the next morning- and I knew that whatever I have to face when my day comes, it’ll be okay.

He looks down at his ice cream and she takes his hand. He puts the bowl down, then pulls her into his chest as the silence embraces them.

INT. ANDREW’S BEDROOM – DAWN

Josephine sits quietly on the edge of Andrew’s bed as early morning light begins to peek through the slats of the window.

After watching him for a few moments, she leans down and lightly kisses his head. When she’s done, she carefully gets up and exits, barely making a sound on the wood floor.

INT. HALLWAY

After Josephine enters the hallway from Andrew’s apartment, she closes his door and leans against it, eyes closed. When she opens them again, she is STARTLED to find Noel standing there.

Breathing heavily for a moment, she holds her chest.

        JOSEPHINE
Noel… you scared me.

Noel just looks at her. She quickly averts her eyes, looking down for a moment, then at the wall. After a short period of uncomfortable silence, she looks back up at him.

        SHAWNA
                 (sighing)
I know, Noel. Okay? I know the rules…

She looks down, dropping her head into her hands as she breathes.

        SHAWNA
...and I know we’re not supposed to get involved.
  (beat)
But I just…

        NOEL
He’s gonna die.

She raises her head and looks up at him, her eyes a melancholy blue.

        JOSEPHINE
If he hadn’t told me I never would’ve guessed. I mean, he’s not like anyone I’ve ever known or observed in all the places we’ve traveled to. Everyday he wakes up he knows that he’s one day closer to dying, but still he appreciates things I don’t even notice.

Her head sinks down into her hands again and Noel watches, his eyes anxiously holding something back. He takes a deep breath then lets it out.

        NOEL
He’s gonna die tomorrow, Josephine.

Immediately her head shoots up, her face stunned.

        JOSEPHINE
What?! But I thought he had months left.

        NOEL
He doesn’t die from the cancer.
(beat)
He was supposed to, but…

Quickly, the reality of Noel’s words sink in and Josephine steps back, hitting into the door. She holds onto it for a moment as she takes a few breaths.

        JOSEPHINE
It’s my fault. I interfered with his timeline and changed things.

Suddenly, she pauses, as a thought pierces her mind.

        JOSEPHINE
If I leave now, maybe he still has a chance.

She looks to Noel for confirmation but finds none. She thinks about it some more, then turns around determinedly and goes back into the apartment.

INT. ANDREW’S BEDROOM

As Josephine quietly enters the bedroom, Andrew stirs and wakes up. Eventually, his sleepy eyes find her standing at the foot of his bed – a silent silhouette before the morning sun.

He greets her with a warm smile.

        ANDREW
I thought you’d left.
        (beat)
Must’ve been in my dream.

She remains still.

Slowly sensing her mood, Andrew’s face grows serious and he sits up more erectly.

        ANDREW
Josephine?

She shifts her weight, uncomfortably, then stops. After a pause, she moves a little closer to the foot of the bed.

        JOSEPHINE
                 (quietly)
Andrew… I love you.

A smile starts to form on his face again.

        JOSEPHINE
That’s why I can’t do this to you.

She takes a step back then quickly turns to leave. As she goes, Andrew watches for a moment, confused.

        ANDREW
Josephine!

She exits and he gets up from the bed to go after her.

INT. APARTMENT

Josephine hurries past the area where the two of them had dined together the night before. She reaches the front door just as Andrew comes out of the bedroom.

When he sees her leave, he calls her name as he hurries to catch up with her. She doesn’t stop and closes the door behind her just as Andrew reaches it.

INT. HALLWAY

As the front door opens, Andrew rushes out, then stops dead in his tracks – the hallway is empty. He thinks for a moment then RUSHES DOWN THE STAIRS which lead outside.  

Just then, standing at the top of the stairs are NOEL AND JOSEPHINE. Her head is bowed and she trembles heavily as she cries.

They hear Andrew call her name from outside and she turns to Noel, who takes her into his arms.

INT. THE WHITE ROOM

At the far end of the room, Josephine stands in silence, staring blankly out the window, her back turned to the rest of the room.

After a moment, Noel enters and pauses when he sees her. He waits for a moment, deciding what to do, then moves across the room towards her.

When he reaches Josephine, he stops and looks at her. She doesn’t move or say anything. Concerned, Noel takes a breath before speaking.

        NOEL
Josephine?

After a few moments, she slowly turns around, her body almost lifeless.

        JOSEPHINE
So, where are we going today?

He attempts a smile, to try and cheer her up.

        NOEL
I thought we’d check out the eighteenth century English countryside.

Her expression doesn’t change.

        NOEL
You love it there.

She shrugs slightly and turns back to the window.

Unsure of what to do, Noel just stands there. After a few moments, Josephine suddenly turns around, her face streaked with silent tears.

        JOSEPHINE
I have to see him again.
I won’t let him see me, I promise, but I have to see him.

Noel’s eyes grow dim with grief for his friend.

        NOEL
  (quietly)
I don’t think that’s a good idea.

She looks down, then wipes the tears off her face with the back of her hand. When she looks back up, unchangeable resolve fills her expression.

        JOSEPHINE
Sorry, Noel.

She moves past him towards the middle of the room. Confused for a moment, Noel watches.

        NOEL
Josephine?

Just then, as the colors start to pour down from the ceiling, he realizes that she’s actually going.

        NOEL
Josephine!

But it’s too late.

INT. ANDREW’S BEDROOM

Josephine is standing at the foot of Andrew’s bed, silently  watching him. The first rays of sunlight from the new morning start to show through the slats of the window.

As Josephine moves from the foot of the bed to the side, she sees something in the dim light on the bed next to him. When she finally gets close enough, she realizes that it is a PILL BOTTLE. She quickly picks it up. It’s empty.

Josephine throws the bottle on the floor and tears start to run down her face as the panic sets in. She immediately grabs Andrew and shakes him.

        JOSEPHINE
Andrew!

He doesn’t move. More tears flow down her face.

        JOSEPHINE
ANDREW!!

She shakes him one last time as she closes her eyes. She knows he’s gone and takes him into her arms as her body starts to tremble.

While she sits there, on the edge of his bed, sobbing, the room gradually grows brighter. Finally, her sobs die down and everything is still.

FADE TO WHITE

EXT. HILLS

Josephine sits in the same spot from when she first met Andrew as she watches the sun go down. It is more brilliant now than ever, almost blinding her as she stares blankly into it.

A moment later, Noel appears at her side. She doesn’t look up at him, yet seems aware of his presence. A few moments pass.

        JOSEPHINE
  (monotone)
If I hadn’t left, he wouldn’t have done this…but I did.

Noel looks down at her, his eyes filled with compassion.

        NOEL
You’re not coming back.

She very slightly shakes her head as she continues to stare straight into the breathtaking view.

        JOSEPHINE
I need to understand what he knew about life.

Noel nods knowingly. Finally she turns to look up at him and he is GONE. Her eyes show a glimmer of a smile as she whispers:

        JOSEPHINE
Goodbye Noel.

Then she turns back to the sunset.

Standing on the road, Noel watches his friend from a distance, and smiles a little smile.

As the sun goes down, in the hill behind the road, ANDREW watches Noel and Josephine silently, a look of consolation on his face.

The sun goes down over and over before all three of them, each in their different places watching it, each time a slightly different color.

FADE TO WHITE

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