New Script

THE NIGHTMARE

Black. Beat. The sound of scene panting slowly fills the screen. Sharp cut to a POV shot of someone running, sound filtering in overwhelmingly. There are heavy, plodding footstep in the background, something chasing them.

OCTAVIO

Why am I running?

(VO)

The feet trip over over thin air and fall. The ground rushes up, a flash of gold.

Cut to MS-EL of Octavio sitting up in bed, panting. WS-EL/LA of Octavio sitting up in bed, shoulder rising up and down. He tilts his head back and falls back into the bed. Title card starts from WS-EL. The Golden Crown. The main song (Drain Me - Bad Moves) starts playing like boom.

THE SIDEWALK

Octavio walks down a sidewalk, staring down at his phone. He hears a ring drop behind him. Octavio approaches it cautiously, crouching down to pick it up. he studies it for a second, then looks around but sees no one. Shrugging, he stand up and slips the ring in his pocket, walking on. (MS/CU-HA)

THE FRIEND

Octavio gazes off CS-EL, everything is kind of quiet, slowly you can hear someone calling Octavio's name. A basketball hits the fence behind him, His head whipping back. Friend walks into view of the camera, talking at the same time, before sitting down next to Octavio. Octavio is fiddling with the ring at the same time.

FRIEND

Are you ok? I've been calling your name for like 10 minutes

OCTAVIO

Huh? Yea I'm fine

FRIEND

You've been weird lately. Not talking, dozing off. It's like, idk, you're fading away.

Octavio bites his lip and looks down, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

OCTAVI0

I had the dream again

The friend offers him a sad smile

FRIEND

Still messing with you?

OCTAVIO

Yea, I don't know, I kinda like it. It's better than

Hand wave

All of this

FRIEND

What do you mean?

Octavio shrugs, looking away

OCTAVIO

Life. There's no fun. No adrenaline

No adventure

FRIEND

Huh

They sit in silence for a few seconds.

FRIEND

Hey, did you hear about what happened with Jess-

Octavio shrugs and looks down at the ring, slipping it on, the friend disappearing.

he's still looking down at the ring, moving it back and forth

OCTAVIO

Huh.

(beat)

It's kind of loose.

His eyes widen and he looks up, looking for his friend. The golden crown sits in front of him.

OCTAVIO

What the

He looks down and slides the ring off, his friend coming back into frame, still talking.

FRIEND

-ica, apparently she like totally lost it at Michael's party and-

Phone rings, octavio has just been staring down at the ring in a trance snapping out of it at the sound of the phone ringing.

FRIEND

Shit, its my mum, I have to go.

She gathers her stuff

Hey, why don't we go to the mall later? Steal some shit, you can watch me break my diet, it'll totally be an adventure!

Octavio shrugs, sort of in a daze

The friend stands up and leaves, skating off or something. Octavio stares down at the ring

OCTAVIO

O-oh my god

suddenly a smile lights up on his face

Oh my god!

Cut to black

THE SECOND EXPLORATION

Octavio sits on his bed, MS-LA, looking at the ring.he thinks for a second, then reaches out to put it on. Cut

Octavio sits on the floor of any empty parking lot. he slowly looks up, CS-LA, his mouth dropping open as he stands up, the camera spiraling around him, shifting into a CS-EL until he's done. he smiles.

OCTAVIO

Woah

Cut to WS-EL, second song starts (cell-calpurnia), Octavio strolls out of frame (note the new clothes.)

(insert general having fun in empty places scenes, including him balancing on something, slowly shifting from the parking lot to his neighborhood.)

THE CHASE

Crack. The music stops. he freezes as the sound of plodding footsteps fills the air. Without looking back, almost like a knee-jerk reaction, he starts running. Camera shifts to POV shot of his feet, same as the dream.

OCTAVIO

Why am I running?

Foot trips, the ring falls off (flash of gold), the sound of a text tone going off in the back ground

Octavio falls out of his bed in our reality and sits there panting, staring at the ring on his bed. Slow focus pull back to the ring. Beat.

Octavio shakes his head and reaches for his phone, checking it. He sees a text from his friend - the camera lingers on it for a second. Octavio looks down at it for a second. He breathes, his face is only illuminated by the phone screen. Sighing, he shuts it off, reaching forward and picking up the ring, slipping it on. It fits him this time.

THE FINAL MOMENT

Octavio is back in the basketball court, the crown sitting in front of him again, LS-LA. This time he walks to its determinedly and puts it on, CS-El from behind of him putting it on. Footsteps start again and he whirls around, first scared, the smiling wide, still CS-EL. Black.

END.