The Bell Wishers (3) But everything's so beautiful here. Except of course for our appearances now. Farina's expression changes as she realizes what has happened to them. FARINA More of Devonika's handiwork. JASON That and our own gluttony JEWEL And need for refreshment. FARINA In any event…(motions them swiftly through the undergrowth) Ali's waiting. And he's found shelter to stay the night. FADE TO: EXT. of a large dark cave. Ali is seen, nostrils flaring, searching for any trace of enemies. ALI Good to see you. I retraced my steps but you were gone. JEWEL It's a long story, and as Farina pointed out, it is getting dark. ALI Fine, then. This should afford enough safety for one night's sleep. JASON Have you slept here before? FARINA Ali is the strongest, most powerful ruler we have. If he's checked this out, you can be sure. ALI Thanks for the vote of confidence. But there's really no need at this point. I based my decision on two items. Number one is safety. You don't get to be king of the forest without it. Protect what you have at all costs and this primary goal does exactly that. JEWEL A comforting thought to be sure. JASON Hey, Ali saved us from the marsh. JEWEL He wanted the bell's magic. FARINA Decide among yourselves then. I've got work to do. CUT TO: ANOTHER ANGLE as the flyscout flitted away, beating a hasty retreat in the gathering darkness. ALI Though we disagree on many things, I must agree with Farina on this one. We have a very large day of travel ahead tomorrow. Sleep would be a blessing at this point. Both children nod sheepishly and follow Ali. They settle themselves in the cave before Jason speaks again. JASON Hey, Ali. ALI Yes? JASON What was the second item you used to base this choice on? ALI (warily closing one eye) Survival, my boy. Plain, pure and simple. JEWEL Now that's a good choice. JASON (casts a sidelong glance at Jewel) You're sure there's no bugs in here? JEWEL Bugs? (shivers, nestling next to Jason) I think we ought to change the subject. ALI I think we should all sleep. JASON Wait. I heard something move. JEWEL Jason, stop it! (clutches his arm tightly) We need to rest. Right, Ali? CUT TO: CLOSE UP as Jewel's eyes seek Ali's shadow beside them. He had vanished. JEWEL (whispers) He's gone. JASON No, he's in the corner. (points to the other side of the cave) Locating the noise. CUT TO: DIFF ANGLE: Ali assumes his most regal stance as the rumbling sound draws closer. ALI (commands imperiously) Come forth and identify yourself! A slight shuffling of rock is heard. JEWEL Jason, stay close. JASON I'm not going anywhere, until I get the word from Ali. ALI (growing angry in his loudest roar) Stand and name yourself! EFX: Sound of steady rumbling, rock-hewn feet dragging slowly across the dirt floor. STONEHIGH (in a small, quiet voice) I am called Stonehigh. CUT TO: DIFF ANGLE as CAMERA MOVES UP over the main portion of the cave, revealing a creature standing nearly fifty feet tall, dwarfing Ali in its shadow. ALI (cranking his neck to see) What manner of creature are you? STONEHIGH I am a mountain’s strength. Forged in the depths of mighty forces battling beneath the surface. I have lived here all my life. And will continue my existence long after your kind has vanished from memory. CUT TO: ANOTHER ANGLE as Jewel peeks cautiously over Jason’s shoulder. She strains to see the two dark luminous eyes staring downward at them. A slight shower of pebbles hits Ali’s head as the creature grinds to a halt. There were no discernible arms and Stonehigh shuffles on large boulders for feet. A gaping hole serves as a mouth and tongue which issues sound only when a mere breeze blows through the cavern. JEWEL I’m Jewel. This is Jason and Ali, my friends. JASON Are you dangerous? STONEHIGH (laughs gently) Only to my enemies. And there are many of those on this island. (nods to Ali) Wouldn’t you agree, my four-footed friend? ALI Most decidedly so. STONEHIGH What brings you to my cave? Were you seeking fortune in the depths of the earth? JEWEL We were just looking for a night’s shelter. (pauses) We’ve walked a long way and we’re very tired. If we could just rest a few hours, we’d be out of here by daybreak. STONEHIGH You may stay, then … under those conditions. JASON Thanks. ALI We appreciate your kindness. FADE TO: LATER THE SAME NIGHT. CLOSE UP of Jewel as her eyes flutter open. She stares toward the entrance in the darkness. CUT TO: DIFF ANGLE as several pairs of bright eyes are staring in at them. She nudges Jason until he groggily responds, then rouses Ali the same way. CUT TO: ANOTHER ANGLE as stones drop into place at the entrance. Slowly, then more quickly as the exit is sealed. Ali rises and paces to the vanished opening. ALI (hoarsely) We have been trapped. STONEHIGH (echoing from above) They know you are here. JASON You watched them do this? And never warned us? CUT TO: CLOSE UP of Jewel as she flashes a warning glance at Jason. She didn’t want anything to antagonize Stonehigh when he might be their only chance of escape from certain doom. CUT TO: WIDER SHOT as Stonehigh shifts uneasily. STONEHIGH What could I do? I can’t leave the cave. And you certainly couldn’t handle a tribe of Tugg-Ugglies. JEWEL A tribe of what? STONEHIGH They’re called Tugg-Ugglies. A great many years ago, they existed as normal as you or I. JASON (grimacing) Right. What did they look like then? STONEHIGH (glaring at Jason) As I said, the tribe wasn’t particularly appealing to me. But they were a normal enough looking bunch of creatures. Ali pauses in his pacing near the blocked entrance. His patience holds his temper in check. ALI What changed them? CUT TO: DIFF ANGLE as Stonehigh moves a single rock finger to point at the children. STONEHIGH Probably the same process that changed these two into what we see here. I’m quite sure neither appeared this way when they first arrived on the island. ALI How could you know that? I thought you couldn’t journey outside the cave. CUT TO: CAMERA FOLLOWS a glistening small light flying from one of the side caves to the main cavern. Jason smiles, recognizing Farina’s return. Jewel remains unconvinced the flyscout’s reappearance boded well for any of them. CLOSE UP as Farina spins around, sending excess moisture swirling in all directions. CUT TO: WIDE SHOT as Farina lands on Ali’s shoulder. FARINA I told Stonehigh about the visitors. I thought being a recluse, he might shed some light on our surprise guests. JEWEL (quietly) I’ll surprise you the next time you throw water all over us. Damp as it is, we could catch pneumonia on top of everything else. ALI Is there value in catching it? JASON (shakes his head at Ali) Will everyone please let Farina finish? She might know a way out of here. Especially since she didn’t come through the Tugg-Ugglies. FARINA Well spoken, lad. And to finish your queries…the tribe was smitten with the same feature change as Jewel. It affected all of them. Down to the last small child. Now, all of them hide in fear and shame. Only coming out at night to gather small berries and vegetation for food. JEWEL Please, Farina. Tell me the Tugg-Ugglies know of a cure. FARINA That I couldn’t say. But perhaps their leader might know the answer. ALI And just how do we do that? The whole tribe’s outside. We’re in here. Unless you know another way out. CUT TO: ANOTHER ANGLE as Farina flies to a spot in front of a side cave. FARINA Follow and see, mighty comrade. It will be dangerous. But to achieve freedom, risks are required. Jason rises immediately and joins her. Ali and Jewel follow. STONEHIGH Best of luck in your quest! JEWEL Thanks and goodbye, Stonehigh. FARINA Hurry! I’m not even sure the Tugg-Ugglies haven’t already found a way to block my exit. CUT TO: CAMERA FOLLOWS as they turn a final corner in the bleak stone wall. DIFF ANGLE as a sparkling lake emerges into view with a shore of gem-encrusted sand. A single tear of gratitude trickles down Jewel’s cheek, but she hurriedly wipes it away. JASON A lake in the middle of a mountain? This place gets stranger all the time. FARINA (smartly) Only to visitors. Living somewhere doesn’t always mean you’ve seen everything it has to offer. ALI (chimes in) Very true. But tell me, Farina, how can we cross the water? It’s not in my nature to swim. CUT TO: EFX as Farina pauses to ponder, then flies in ever widening circles around the three travelers. The circles shimmer like a curtain of woven firelight. Jewel reaches out to touch the curtain, passes through the aerial protection. CUT TO: ANOTHER ANGLE FARINA Don’t disturb the surface. It must last just long enough to get us through the underground passage. That’s how I found you. JASON (glances in all directions) I don’t see any openings to pass through. ALI Nor I. FARINA Trust me, monarch. There’s too much to lose if something happened to any of you. And much to gain in our combined strength for survival. CUT TO: DIFF ANGLE as Farina finishes weaving a small line of light. She attaches it to the large sparkling orb that engulfs Ali and the children. ALI What are you doing? By my royal crown, you can’t be thinking of dragging us into the lake. Jason and Jewel exchange nervous glances. FARINA Hold your breath, everyone! (lets loose a small laugh that tinkles like bells) CUT TO: ANOTHER ANGLE as the makeshift bubble of light rises steadily into the air, then swiftly plunges into the water, deep into the enormous depths. Jason peers into the darkness, silently praying for a swift flight back to solid ground. ALI (patting Jason’s shoulder) Don’t worry, Jason. If Farina can transport us like this, she knows how to get us out of here. JEWEL I just hope it’s in one piece. What if… ALI No! We don’t deal in possibilities here. The Land of Remote is firmly based on reality. JASON Yeah, right. If this is real, maybe I ought to have my head examined. JEWEL (grins) And if not, you wouldn’t have one. At least not in this depth underwater. CUT TO: WIDE SHOT as Farina speeds the bubble forward. Paying no attention to a long, thin slippery eel-like creature darting toward them. CUT TO: ANOTHER ANGLE as four tentacles cleave the light bubble in two. Two separate air pockets form, leaving Jewel unattached to the bubble being guided forward by Farina. CUT TO: CLOSE UP inside the first bubble with Ali and Jason. Ali is roaring loudly, trying to get Farina’s attention. CUT TO: DIFF ANGLE as Farina continues onward. The second bubble containing Jewel floats downward, out of sight. Farina manages to get the bubble through the portal and to the surface where it dissolves on shore. Leaving Ali and Jason, with no acknowledgement, she turns and heads back down through the water to save Jewel. WIPE TO: EXT. UNDERWATER as the elongated eel swims toward Jewel in the light bubble. She is screaming, but no sound issues from the pocket of air. The monster latches four tentacles tightly around it, dragging the girl still deeper into the inky depths. CUT TO: INT. BUBBLE. Jewel cries freely. Despair threatens to overwhelm her. JEWEL Why did I ever let Jason drag me into this? Mom and Dad will never know where we’ve been. Or what happened to us! And I don’t want to be eaten by a great ugly fish. CUT TO: CLOSE UP of Jewel’s ear. She hears a calming voice. MURRANZO I’m not going to eat you. CUT TO: ANOTHER ANGLE as Jewel looks around, panic-stricken. She hears a quiet swishing sound as the bubble continues plunging deeper into the darkness. JEWEL Great! Now I’m imagining voices before I get eaten. MURRANZO I told you, I’m not going to eat you. But I might be tempted to bounce you off the nearest coral reef, if you keep carrying on like that. JEWEL Can anyone hear me? The bubble shimmers slightly at the reverberations from her voice. CUT TO: TIGHT SHOT as two coal-black eyes press against the bubble’s surface. Staring in at Jewel. Almost as if the creature is trying to communicate with her. JEWEL (slowly) You aren’t talking to me, are you? MURRANZO Not exactly talking. But you do hear and understand me, don’t you? JEWEL Of course, but how is this possible? We must be two miles under the surface. MURRANZO Three, to be exact. But, that's not important. I want you to know, I'm here to help. JEWEL Help? How can I believe you when you've brought me to this? CUT TO: WIDE SHOT as the eel and the light bubble are seen approaching the entrance of an enormous underwater cavern. The sides of the cave glisten in wet purplish algae that clings to every outcropping. CUT TO: DIFF ANGLE of Jewel peering out at the expanse. JEWEL If you really want to help, get me to the surface before the bubble dissolves. MURRANZO No problem. CUT TO: CAMERA FOLLOWS as Murranzo pulls the bubble into the cave and deftly ascends to the surface. Above water, a myriad of gnarled and twisted trees outline the edges of a brightly colored forest. As the bubble touches shore, it dissolves, bursting into a million sparkles of light and then blown to the four winds. Jewel steps onto the dark sandy beach in fear. JEWEL Where have you taken me? MURRANZO It's the barrier between my world and that of the Tugg-Ugglies. JEWEL Why bring me here? MURRANZO Let me introduce myself, first. I am Murranzo, noble son of the high Vizier, and heir to the throne of Twoda. JEWEL Very nice. I'm Jewel. MURRANZO I know. I heard that you and your friends were headed this way. JEWEL From who? MURRANZO The Tugg-Ugglies know every strange occurrence on this island. Besides, I was expecting someone anyway. The bell is a strong incentive. JEWEL (eyes widening) You've got the bell? We need it to return home. MURRANZO (resignedly) I know. But I don't have the bell. I sent it to your world for help. You evidently answered the call. JEWEL Jason found it. He opened the box, called the cloak and wished us here. MURRANZO I'm well aware of how it works. I designed the bell myself. Unfortunately, Ferenko wrote the instructions. JEWEL Wait! Who is Ferenko? MURRANZO (pauses, considering) I don't want to endanger your life, young lady. In fact, I probably shouldn't have mentioned anything about the bell. JEWEL But you did. And obviously, there was a reason for sending the bell to my world. MURRANZO A very good reason. All right then. Listen well, for there may not be another chance to tell what you need to know. CUT TO: ANOTHER ANGLE as Jewel seats herself on the sand. MURRANZO Ferenko was brother to Farina. JEWEL The flyscout? MURRANZO Exactly. He and I fought Devonika's evil in many battles. In our final one together, the sorceress summoned her greatest ally. What you see left of me is the result. JEWEL A sea creature. He slaps the water with a tentacle. MURRANZO (simply) No, my dear. My people are far different from this superficial form. The Tugg-Ugglies are my people. I am their rightful ruler. JEWEL Why don't you resemble them more closely, then? MURRANZO That was the power of Devonika's ally. It changed me into this form and banished me to the nether world of a watery grave. The Tugg-Ugglies were of beautiful form and voice until that moment. Then they became what you saw last night. A hideous race condemned to wander. Separated from the light of understanding and commerce. Jewel pauses, taking a deep breath to absorb all of the information. She feels sorrow washing over her for the exiled monarch. Knowing that a loving, caring race of creatures has been reduced to shunning daylight and fending for themselves without a leader. When Murranzo speaks again, he has read her thoughts, but she knows his as well. His heart is pure in its intensity and compassion. MURRANZO You are the one to help us. Your appearance has been altered, much like our own. In that, we share a common bond. CUT TO: CLOSE UP as Jewel winces from the acknowledgement of her appearance. CUT TO: DIFF ANGLE as Murranzo swims placidly back and forth. MURRANZO I have offended you. I apologize. I didn't mean to call attention to the difference. But, together we may be able to restore what has been changed. The Karmen is not omnipotent and its alterations are not always permanent. JEWEL The Karmen is Devonika's ally, then? What type of creature is this monstrosity? MURRANZO (mysteriously) It is nothing…and everything. Darkest fear…weakest strength. JEWEL (irritated) I don't need riddles. We need facts, not fantasy, to defeat it. MURRANZO But that is the anomaly. It alters shape and form at will. To become your greatest enemy. Your biggest fear. That is how it attacks. And kills. JEWEL Then I need to learn how to defeat it. Because if I don't, rejoining Jason and Ali may not matter. We could suffer the same fate. MURRANZO (agrees) I will relate all I know. On condition that you meet with my people and tell them everything that I've told you. JEWEL Why haven't you told them yourself, before now? As their ruler, they should have listened to you. MURRANZO Shoulda, woulda, coulda. They should have listened. They would have listened, if I weren't in this form.
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Copyright © 2001 Emmett O Saunders Iii |