Eternal by Anthony Renfro

Website: atothewr.com Email: atothewr@gmail.com

"ETERNAL"

FADE IN: EXT. CAR/TOWN - EARLY MORNING A sign appears with the words WHITESIDE TOWN LIMITS written on it. This is one of those old colonial seaside towns. trapped inside antiquity. A place

A lit vacancy sign hangs in the window of the hotel, a modified two story house. A black Chevelle sits in a space in front of this hotel. At the end of this town is a little white church and a turn off that leads to a driveway. The car turns into this driveway. EXT. LIGHTHOUSE - CONTINUOUS The car pulls up to an abandoned lighthouse. This place was once a working lighthouse, but the new automated one put it out of business. This new automated lighthouse sits a mile out to sea on a large rocky outcropping. Its light splashing like a steady beat over the old lighthouse in some cruel twist of fate. DAN WESS (37) gets out of the car. His hair is long and his face is covered with a thick beard. His clothes are a bit disheveled and his posture is one of a sunken and beaten man. Dan takes out a flashlight from his bag and turns it on. Through the beam of light he sees the run down cemetery behind the lighthouse. He drops his bag by the front door and walks towards it. INT. GRAVEYARD - CONTINUOUS Dan opens the old gate and walks over to where his grandfather and grandmother are buried. The place is overgrown with weeds and needs repair.

2.

Dan kneels down in front of his grandfather's gravestone and stays there thinking for a moment or two. Dan stands up and looks around. He makes his way out of the graveyard. EXT. LIGHTHOUSE - CONTINUOUS Dan walks around the place making note of what has fallen apart and what can and cannot be replaced. He makes his way around to the entrance and shines the light inside. INT. LIGHTHOUSE/FIRST FLOOR HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS On instinct Dan flips the switch. The lights, of course, do not come on. He explores. Spider webs have found their way into corners and dormant rooms. The wind whistling through the place creates a ghostly moan that seems to fill every room and every corner. Emptiness and decay abound. Dan makes his way to the stairs. He climbs up to the second floor. INT. LIGHTHOUSE/SECOND FLOOR - CONTINUOUS Dan wanders through the bedrooms of the house. He reaches the stairs that spiral up into the tower. He climbs. When he reaches the top he pushes up on the trap door. He opens it and when he shines the light inside several bats scurry for darkness.

3.

INT. LIGHTHOUSE TOWER - NIGHT Dan climbs up into the clear glass enclosure. It is broken in spots and needs to be replaced. The light (long dormant) sits in the midst of a large spidery web. From up here Dan can scan the surrounding area. He explores. EXT. LIGHTHOUSE - NIGHT MARY-BETH (27) strolls across the vacant ground toward the old lighthouse. She has raven black hair and white, almost pearl-like, skin. Shes tall with a sleek lean figure. She's dressed in boots, tee shirt, leather coat, and jeans. INT. LIGHTHOUSE TOWER - CONTINUOUS Dan sees her and watches her approach. She disappears inside. Dan makes his way over to the stairs and listens for her. She can be heard walking up the stairs to the second floor. Dan steps away from his position and prepares to face her, but her footsteps stop somewhere below. He walks over to the stairs and with caution descends. INT. LIGHTHOUSE/SECOND FLOOR - CONTINUOUS Dan doesn't turn on the flashlight, so his going is slow. He checks the first bedroom, nothing. bedroom. He goes into the next

INT. LIGHTHOUSE/SECOND FLOOR/MASTER BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS He walks in and there she is. The light from the automated lighthouse cascades over her in light, then darkness, then light, then darkness, etc.

4.

They lock eyes and something registers between them. Neither can speak or move. It is like the whole world has stopped and they are the only two existing. She stands up and he steps back. He moves towards her and she steps back. He steps back and she moves forward. Again they hold their gaze. Eyes locked.

Their gaze breaks and she charges out of the room and into the hall. Dan rushes after her. INT. LIGHTHOUSE/SECOND FLOOR HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS Mary-Beth is moving down the stairs to the first floor. Dan rushes to the top of the stairs and stops. He looks down and sees nothing. He runs down the stairs to the first floor. INT. LIGHTHOUSE/FIRST FLOOR HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS Mary-Beth is running out the door. Dan opens his mouth to speak. She is gone. EXT. LIGHTHOUSE - NIGHT Dan rushes out into the night and in vain he searches for her. Headlights fall upon him. Pete shuts off the car (which has a ladder tied to the top of it) and gets out. He rushes over to Dan. Deborah is there a second or two later. PETE (37), Dan's best friend and confidant. He stands about five seven and is currently dressed out in jeans and a sports sweatshirt. DEBORAH (37) is Pete's wife. She is petite and has the look of a wife and mother. She dresses to fit this style. Dan. PETE You okay?

5.

DAN Did you see her? Who? The girl! DEBORAH DAN

PETE What girl? I didn't see any girl. Did you, Deb? DEBORAH No, I didn't see anything. They look about for a moment or two, mostly just humoring Dan. Dan gives up on the girl and tries to move back into a new conversation. DAN Weird. (Beat) Did you bring the stuff? Yeah. PETE

They walk over to the car and Pete opens the trunk. He takes out an air mattress and pump, pillows, some kerosene lamps, candles, matches, a cooler, some blankets, a couple of cans of paint and some brushes. Dan unties the ladder and takes it down. PETE (CONT'D) Power and water will be on by tomorrow. DAN That is, if anything still works. Deborah takes one of the kerosene lamps and lights it. Pete closes the trunk and they take the stuff inside. INT. LIGHTHOUSE/LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS This room is dominated by a large fireplace and it is empty like the rest of the house.

6.

Deborah sets the kerosene lamp down so they can have some light. They put the stuff in one corner of the room. PETE You okay now? DAN Yeah, I think. Deborah takes a seat on the hearth as Dan walks over to the window. PETE Little overwhelming? What? DAN

PETE Coming back. DAN More than I thought it would be. Pete walks around looking the place over, running his hand over the dilapidated walls. PETE I remember when this place used to be beautiful. I remember that time when you and I nearly fell through the upstairs floor because we were wrestling so hard. You remember how your grandfather got so mad because we shook the plaster off the ceiling? DAN (SMILING) Yeah, I remember that. Pete takes a seat on the hearth beside Deborah as Dan continues to stand at the window. PETE Why don't you get out of here tonight? Come back tomorrow when you can really look this place over. DAN I want to stay.

7.

PETE We hate to leave you alone. DAN I think it's for the best. It feels good being back; still got some old ghosts to chase. Silence between them. a while. Its obvious Dan wants to be alone for

PETE I guess thats everything? DEBORAH I think so. PETE Well Dan if you need anything. I know. DAN

PETE Just keep me posted. DAN I will. Thanks again for everything. They exchange pleasantries. DAN (CONT'D) See you later. Later. PETE

DEBORAH See you Dan. Later. DAN

They leave. Outside, Pete's car comes to life and the sound of it evaporates into the distance. Dan pumps up the air mattress and places the sleeping bag on top of it. When he is done he pulls a sweater from his duffel bag and puts it on.

8.

He grabs the kerosene lamp and makes his way outside. EXT. LIGHTHOUSE - NIGHT Mary-Beth has returned to the lighthouse. She leans closer to the shadows as Dan walks off towards the trees. She watches him. Dan stops about halfway and turns back to the lighthouse. He shines the light around for a moment before turning back to his task. He sets the lamp down and collects some firewood. the lamp, he goes back inside. Mary-Beth steps up to the window. INT. LIGHTHOUSE/LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS Dan puts the wood into the fireplace and gets the fire lit. He turns off the lamp, kicks off his shoes, and climbs into the sleeping bag. He lies there a moment looking up at the ceiling. He looks down at his wedding band and takes it off. He holds it tight in his hand and pulls it close to his heart. He closes his eyes and dreams of times gone by. EXT. LIGHTHOUSE - CONTINUOUS Mary-Beth turns away from the window and walks over to the doorway. She steps inside. INT. LIGHTHOUSE/FIRST FLOOR HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS Mary-Beth creeps over to where the living room door should be and peeks around the corner. Dan is lying by the fireplace asleep. Mary-Beth ducks back behind the wall into the shadows. Picking up

9.

She waits a minute before peeking around again. She steps into the room and walks over to him. She leans down beside him. with his slumber. He doesnt move as he continues He moves just a bit

She reaches out and touches his hair. causing her to freeze in place.

He doesnt wake up and quietly goes back to sleep. She watches him for a moment or two before getting up and leaving. EXT. POST OFFICE - MORNING Dan walks out and over to the general store. He goes inside. INT. GENERAL STORE - CONTINUOUS This is a creaky old place with antiquated floorboards and walls. Old signs hang in strategic places advertising modern items. The aisles hold an array of items, anything from household cleaning supplies, to groceries, to books, to DVD's. Dan sees this small section of DVD's and walks over to them. There are about twenty in all. He flips through them and finds a couple he likes. Darkness' and 'Freddy vs. Jason'. 'Army of

Once he is done he walks over to the grocery section and gets some non-perishable food along with some bottled water. The last thing he picks up is some light bulbs. Dan walks up to the counter and rings a bell. DANTE (63) steps out of the back a second or two later and he immediately notices Dan. Dante is dressed in a turtleneck, a pair of jeans, and dark black boots. Creeping out from the sleeves of his shirt are tattoos running all the way to the top of his hands.

10.

He is old around the edges and from the way he looks you can tell life has been rough on him. He has a very strong thick Maine accent. DANTE Will that be it for He comes around the counter and the two embrace. DANTE (CONT'D) Dan Wess, well I'll be. DAN How have you been Dante? DANTE What brings you back to this side of the coast? I thought Hollywood had swallowed you up by now. DAN Nope, not yet. DANTE I got a couple of your books on the shelf over there. They don't sell much, but nothing in this town ever does. DAN I noticed. It seems to be smaller than when I left. DANTE Well, we keep lighting the signs and stocking the shelves, but people don't come around much anymore. Dante walks back around the counter and starts to ring Dan up. DANTE (CONT'D) So you back in town for the lighthouse? DAN Yeah. I thought I might give the old gal a face-lift. My granddad put his life into that place, it's the least I could do.

11.

DANTE Your granddad would be proud of you for that. DAN I hope so. I also need to order a couple of more things. You still do that? DANTE I still do. We don't send them much business now a days, but they still deliver if we need something. Dante takes out a note pad and pen. He slides it over to Dan. Dante finishes ringing everything up as Dan scribbles down what he needs. DANTE (CONT'D) They are pretty good about getting supplies out her within a couple of days. We don't ask for much here in Whiteside so when we do they are more than obliged to help. DAN This should do it for now. Dante looks the list over before filing it away. start bagging the items up. DAN (CONT'D) By the way who's the new guy over at the post office? DANTE He's someone that comes over from across the way. He gets here in the morning gone by night. DAN You still keeping the hotel open? DANTE I know it doesn't make much sense, but I only got the two rooms and they don't take much to keep up with. (Beat) We have a girl in one right now. DAN A real pretty girl, kind of strange, dark hair, great body? They both

12.

DANTE You've seen her? DAN She was out at the lighthouse. DANTE She's a looker isn't she? Yeah. DAN

DANTE By the way, this may sound kind of awkward, but I heard about your wife and I wanted to say I'm sorry. DAN I appreciate it. DANTE Pete had stopped by and told me when it happened. I hate to hear that you've had trouble like that. Dante finishes up the sale. Thanks. DAN You deal.

DANTE Just like your granddad, tough as nails, but soft where it matters. DAN I guess I'll shove off. care. DANTE You too Dan. DAN Thanks, have a good day. Dan walks over to the door and outside. EXT. GENERAL STORE - MORNING Dan walks towards the lighthouse and as he does he looks up at the windows on the second floor of the hotel. You take

13.

One of them has its curtains open letting in light while the other window has its curtains pulled tightly shut. Dan stops and looks at it a moment before turning away and walking back to the lighthouse. INT. MARY-BETH'S APARTMENT - AFTERNOON This room holds a big white double bed with a canopy draping over it. A night stand with a clock rests beside it. A dresser is in front of this bed with a small TV on top of it. A mirror and a couple of paintings of the sea and the world around it adorn the walls. There's also a small mini fridge with a hotplate on top of it. The heavy curtains are closed and sealed. Mary-Beth wakes up and rolls out of bed. She walks over and peaks out the window. The light is still up in the sky so she doesn't bother to get dressed. Instead she turns on the TV and flips around the dials until she finds some news. She watches it intently for a moment. She walks over to the fridge and takes out a bottle of red wine and a packet of blood. She pours about half of the blood into the wine glass and fills the rest of the glass with wine. She mixes it together with her finger, sucks off the juice, and walks back over to the bed. She watches the news and sips on the concoction. EXT. CHURCH - DUSK The sun is starting to move towards the horizon casting large shadows across the town. Dan steps up to the door of the church and opens it. evaporates inside. He

14.

INT. CHURCH - CONTINUOUS This church holds about four rows of pews and a small altar with a podium. A cross hangs on the back wall with Jesus held in his eternal pose. The murky late daylight casts strange shadows through the stained glass. No lights are on. Dan dips his hand in the holy water, and does the sign of the cross. He walks over, and kneels down on the altar. He says a prayer in silence. INT. MARY-BETH'S APARTMENT - DUSK She peaks out of the curtains and then opens them. She stares out at the world and the night seeping in around the edges. She turns away from the window, grabs her keys, and exits the apartment. EXT. HOTEL - CONTINUOUS Mary-Beth steps out of the hotel and starts to walk over to her car. She looks over at the church as Dan exits. She watches him. Dan looks over towards the hotel as Mary-Beth pushes herself up against the building. The shadows conceal her for the moment. Dan turns his gaze back to the lighthouse and starts to walk off in that direction. Dante exits the building startling Mary-Beth. DANTE I didn't mean to scare you. Just checking the place over for the night.

15.

MARY-BETH You didn't scare me. DANTE Sorry if I did. Do you need anything? MARY-BETH No, the room is fine. DANTE If you need me, you know where I am, have a good night. MARY-BETH Good night. Dante crosses the street and disappears into the General Store. A moment or two later a light comes on in the apartment upstairs. INT. LIGHTHOUSE/LIVING ROOM - NIGHT One of the lamps is sitting on top of the mantle burning bright. Dan takes the ladder over to the middle of the room. He checks the switch to make sure the light isn't on. goes back over to the ladder and climbs up. He screws in a light bulb and tries the switch. Nothing happens. He tries it a couple of more times. DAN Dammit! Pete! I thought you said the power would be on by today. Something registers. He exits the room. INT. LIGHTHOUSE/FIRST FLOOR HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS Dan wanders down it to a place near the back. and opens the trap door. He kneels down Dan goes over and gets the lamp. He

16.

Spider webs have gathered and Dan has to push through them. He shines the light down into the basement. FUCK! DAN

He summons his courage and climbs down. INT. LIGHTHOUSE/BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS Dan reaches the bottom and steps onto fresh dirt. He shines a light around the small room. Rats scurry for cover. Spider webs seem to be the norm. He walks across the room to a circuit breaker. He opens the box and finds what he is looking for. He flips all the switches to on. He walks back across the room and climbs the ladder. Dan hasnt noticed the broken window or Mary Beth as she clings to the shadows. INT. LIGHTHOUSE/FIRST FLOOR HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS Dan slams the door closed and dusts himself off. back over to the living room. INT. LIGHTHOUSE/LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS Dan reaches for the switch. EXT. LIGHTHOUSE - CONTINUOUS The light floods out of the open window catching Mary-Beth off guard. She ducks back into the shadows catching her scream. A moment later she creeps back over and looks into the room. INT. LIGHTHOUSE/LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS Dan goes over and gets his laptop. outlet near the hearth. He plugs it into an He walks

17.

He retrieves 'Army of Darkness' and opens it. He turns off the light, puts the disc in, adjusts the pillows on the air mattress and lies back. He watches the movie for a moment or two before his eyes draw heavy and close. FADE TO BLACK FADE IN: (START DREAM SEQUENCE) INT. CREMATION ROOM - MORNING Dan is well groomed, a professional looking man, nothing like his current incarnation. He is wearing a dark black suit and tie. He stands beside a coffin as it is about ready to be put into the cremation burner. He kisses the coffin then nods his head. The person doing the cremating pushes the coffin into the fire. As the flames lick the coffin clean Dan turns towards the sound of a car's engine. INT. CAR - NIGHT Dan is driving and in the opposite seat is HEATHER (27), Dan's wife. She is a beautiful woman with striking blonde hair and a soft tall thin feminine figure. DAN I love you Heather and I want you to be on board with this as much as I am. I want us to raise our family He reaches over and touches her belly. and presses it tight to her stomach. DAN (CONT'D) - I just want all of us to experience it. She grips his hand

18.

HEATHER But Maine? Why not Carolina or Florida? It's closer to my family. Heather looks over at him as lights blind the car. Metal meets metal in a flash cut of blinding light INT. LIVING ROOM OF HOUSE - NIGHT - into the dark of night the sound of the crash echoes. Dan now dressed in pajamas stands by a cold fireplace holding the urn. He closes his eyes in order to hold in the tears as a white fog forms around the small gray object. With a slow ease this fog stretches out towards Dan. turns into a hand and touches Dan's face. Dan turns to face a ghostly version of Heather. DAN I miss you. HEATHER I miss you too. Heather runs her hand over Dans face as they lean in for a kiss. Their lips lock as Heather merges - . (END DREAM SEQUENCE) INT. LIGHTHOUSE/LIVING ROOM - NIGHT - into Mary-Beth who is sitting on Dan's chest. Dan has leaned up and grabbed her. He wakes up with his lips on her lips. Ash delivers one of his good one-liners, 'Give me some sugar baby.' They both pull back startled and stare at one another. A moment or two passes. It

19.

She stands up and he leans forward. door as Dan stands up.

She slides towards the She reaches the door

They continue to stare at one another. as Dan moves towards her.

DAN I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to know why you're here. Mary-Beth stops. DAN (CONT'D) How about your name then? When Mary-Beth speaks she has a strong French accent. My name? MARY-BETH

She thinks on it a moment, should she or shouldn't she. DAN Please, don't go. Mary-Beth continues to stare, silent words on her lips. MARY-BETH We have nothing to say to each other. DAN Well there's got to be a reason why you keep coming back. Mary-Beth remains quiet. DAN (CONT'D) How about we go to the restaurant and talk? MARY-BETH I have nothing to say. DAN Sure, you do, everybody does. about breakfast? How

MARY-BETH Dinner, around eight, after night falls. Mary-Beth steps out the door and stops.

20.

MARY-BETH (CONT'D) Its Mary-Beth by the way. She leaves. Dan doesn't go after her.

EXT. BLACK CHEVELLE - NIGHT This is a mean looking muscle car from the year 1970. door, four on the floor, four-barrel carburetor, 396. windows are all tinted black. INT. CAR - LATE NIGHT Mary-Beth slams a MAN into the backseat and opens her mouth revealing her fangs. She slams those fangs into her victim's throat and drains him dry. Two The