EVERLASTING Written by Jack McVee December 11, 2001 Teaser INT. AIDEN'S HOUSE - NIGHT A few minutes after "Beyond The Grave". Destin, Miguel, and Zelda have brought Aiden to the floor. He's alive, but his facial expression and blank eyes don't give any indication of such. A trickle of blood drips off his forehead and down his right cheek. Zelda checks his pulse. Everyone's panicked. DESTIN Oh my god. Oh my god - is he DEAD? MIGUEL No! He has a pulse. He's alive. He's... he's... asleep... but kinda not... ZELDA Well, do something! Wake him up! Desperately, Destin reaches over and grabs Aiden by the shoulders. Tears pour through as he tries to wake up him up. DESTIN AIDEN!! AIDEN!! He shakes the boy frantically, but no response from him. Another blank stare. A slight breath. Nothing else. DESTIN AIDEN PLEASE! Destin ends up falling to his knees, crying quietly into his hands. Zelda and Miguel sadly stare at him. DESTIN Don't fucking stand there! We have to get him to a, to a doctor... or, god, something... Destin's reaching hysteria now, and Zelda can sense it. ZELDA Destin... let's just calm down... MIGUEL Just breathe, alright? He tries leading Destin a little away, by putting a hand on his shoulder, but Destin immediately rips it away. DESTIN YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! HE NEEDS HELP... HE... MIGUEL You're just gonna have to fucking DEAL, okay? I wanna help Aiden, but we wont be able to think if we don't get our god- damn shit together! A moment of pure frustration sweeps over Destin like a tidal wave. And then - BAM! - He punches Miguel straight across his face. Hard. A stunned beat, as all three of them take it in, breathing hard, sobbing hard. DESTIN (totally lost) I... I'm sorry. I just... I don't... He needs help... We need to find him... ANGLE: Aiden. We hear the cackling of flames... but not from anywhere around here... but within the boy's mind... We ZOOM IN ON HIM closer and closer until the CAMERA gets right inside his eye. DESTIN (V.O.) (almost childike) Where is he? A WHITE LIGHT FLASHES within the darkness, and we see the figure of Aiden falling, only he's falling UP. BLACK OUT Opening credits. ACT 1 EXTREME CLOSE UP - Aiden's eyes. Still blank, open, and emotionless. WIDER revealing sitting on a lawn chair on his front porch. It's just a few minutes later from the teaser. Everyone's extremely tense. They're just there for a little breather. DESTIN W...what do we do? Do we try to snap him out of it? MIGUEL No! BIG no, there. Something could be wrong with his brain. Something neurological. DESTIN Brilliant deduction, Holmes. MIGUEL (tensing) Listen, pal... ZELDA (practically growling) Shut. Up! Silence. ZELDA Destin, he, he didn't fall or get smacked on the head by anything. It wasn't a fainting like Mrs. Dark. The ghosts put him into some sort of supernatural narcosis. DESTIN You don't know that. ZELDA What else would it have been? Maybe the ghost took him away somewhere... DESTIN This is fucking insane. ZELDA You got any better ideas? DESTIN Yes! Aiden is in a god-damn coma, and we need to get him out of it. ZELDA It ISN'T a coma! His eyes are open and he's breathing. It's like he's, he's torpid. MIGUEL Maybe he saw something in that house that just... scared him really bad. DESTIN looks at Aiden, sadly. He touches the boy's cheek. DESTIN I just wanna know where he is. SMASH TO: INT. AIDEN'S MIND - ZERO HOUR AIDEN, wearing the same clothes his torpid self is wearing, is suspended in mid-air. He's surrounded by nothing. AIDEN (flustered) Uh... hello? I... I know that nobody's probably... there... but I'd kinda... like to get back, to my own body now. VOICE (deep, masculine) Is that what you *really* want? He twirls around, trying to find a source for the voice. Nobody here but us chickens. AIDEN Who said that? VOICE I did. AIDEN Doesn't exactly answer my question. VOICE You already have all the answers. But you're too blind to see them. There's a pause, and: AIDEN I'm... I'm not in my mind, am I? I'm somewhere else. VOICE Very good. Would like to take a guess as to where you are...? AIDEN Ummmm... Cleveland? VOICE Close. You're in Purgatory. AIDEN Purga-what-y? VOICE Purgatory. A state in which the souls of those who have died in grace must expiate their sins. (pause) Or so they say. AIDEN I didn't die. I'm just... in a groove. VOICE Purgatory, heaven, hell, a "groove", whatever you would like to call it. You're in the afterlife, Mr. Dark. AIDEN You're not understanding me. I didn't die. The Infinity didn't kill me. I know it. VOICE Oh, of course they didn't. They sent you here, to me. See, once you're here, the only thing that can get you out is the darkest of magicks. Aiden absorbs that unpleasantly. AIDEN So I'm stuck here forever? VOICE Well, I may have been a little too hasty with my last statement. Sometimes, when a certain soul has a certain fate that MUST be carried out for the better of the Universe, then I must present them with a pseudo- ultimatum. AIDEN And... am I one of those certain souls? VOICE I believe you are, yes. AIDEN Okay. But before we go any further - are you... like... God? VOICE God? (he chuckles a bit) I am God and The Goddess. I am the Earth, I am the air, the water, and the fire. AIDEN (gets it) Spirit. SPIRIT The first, the last, the only. AIDEN (total fanboy) Wow! Like, my gosh, I can't believe I'm talking to Spirit. You're like, THE guy. Oh, you ARE a guy, right? Or is it politically incorrect to ask? SPIRIT I am everything and nothing all at the - AIDEN I get it, I get it. So, the Universe, how'dja go about creating it? Some say that was your most flawed career move. SPIRIT I've taken enough flack for the universe creation from Hecate, Aradia and Sirius, thank you very much. The actual creation was more complex than some may thi- (catches himself) You're sidetracking me. AIDEN Uh, sorry! Should I, like, bow, or salute you, or what? SPIRIT You worship me through your spells, rituals, thoughts, and chants. I think a salutation would be a tad tiresome, no? AIDEN Of course. Sorry. SPIRIT You needn't apologize to me. I have a sense of humour just like everyone else. Did you hear the one about The Goddess and Noah's Arc? (catches himself again) You're doing it again. AIDEN Look, Spirit, you seem like a nice, uh, omnipotent deity, so I ask you to PLEASE bring me back to earth. SPIRIT You see, Aiden, I really would love to, but because your future is rather, um... (tries finding the words) ...Will you freak out if I say 'bleak'? AIDEN (nervous now) Too late. SPIRIT Sorry. But, if you indeed go back to your world, a heavy price must be paid. I don't make up the rules. The guys in the Karma department do that, and they are SUCH bitches when it comes to clemency. AIDEN But, I, I never did anything to anyone! Well, nothing TOO horrible, anyway! I haven't killed anyone, or, or raped, or maimed, or watched Home Improvement... SPIRIT No, but Aiden, you must understand, that sometimes the Universe is not fair. Bad things can happen to good people and vice versa. Aiden glumly accepts this. He looks around him, up, down, left, right, and then... AIDEN So tell me. What exactly do I have to do... to get back to my world? SPIRIT Are you certain that you're ready? AIDEN (getting a little tired of this) Look, Spirit, I don't wanna be disrespectful, or anything, but I'm just a kid. If you want me to jump through large hoops of fire, or, or, maybe eat a live frog or something... SPIRIT Quit you're worrying, Aiden Dark. I save that kinda stuff for the naughty sinners. AIDEN This practically borders on illegal. Are you aware that I'm only fifteen? There's a beat. SPIRIT (knowingly) Are you? ANGLE: Aiden's face. He's visibly shaken by the change of tone the conversation took, as well as the question itself. AIDEN Just tell me what I have to do. SPIRIT Very well. But I must warn you. The road ahead will be a little... vague. Almost dream-like. You'll need a sharp mind a skill ful eye if you wanna figure ANYTHING out. (pause) Okay. Here we go. BLACK OUT Insert commercials. ACT 2 INT. AIDEN'S LIVING ROOM - SAME The Dwellers plus Destin have brought Aiden to his house. The pseudo-comatose boy is perched on the couch, still staring deafly, dumbly and blindly into negative space. His friends gather around him, becoming more and more concerned by the minute. Destin quietly sits next to Aiden and stares into his dead eyes. No words are spoken, until - DESTIN (deadpan) A spell. They immediately turn to Destin, more concerned than they are interested. ZELDA A spell? DESTIN A spell. To bring Aiden back. It's the only way. MIGUEL Because doctors and medical treatment are just SO 1997. DESTIN You were right before, Zelda! It wasn't something physical that made Aiden like this, it was a mystical presence. A being. It took Aiden's essence of spirit away, and we're getting it back. Not through needles, not through medicine, not through CAT scans. We're invoking something tonight, folks. And we're not just gonna do it to look cool. ZELDA (now very concerned) I think we need to sort out our priorities... DESTIN No! We don't need to! (looks to Aiden) We only have one. The CAMERA glides past the group and begins zeroing in on the catatonic Aiden... his eyes widen ever so slightly... CUT TO INT. AIDEN'S BEDROOM - THE AFTERLIFE Aiden stands quietly before his bedroom window. It appears to be on the verge of sunrise, outside. AIDEN (confused) What time is it. SPIRIT Before dawn. As always. He looks around him. AIDEN I'd much prefer it if I could see you. The real you. SPIRIT I have no body. AIDEN Borrow one. SPIRIT As you wish. A HAND reaches over from off-screen and taps Aiden on the soulder. He spins around to see... ZEUS (seeing as how you, the reader, probably have no idea who Zeus is, I'll point you to the direction of the original "Afraid" in an exasperated manner) or, Spirit in the image of Zeus. He's looking rather sharp in an electric-blue zoot-suit and spiked hair. He smiles at Aiden warmly. SPIRIT You like? AIDEN (awe-struck) Zeus? Is that... SPIRIT Of course not. I'm appearing in the image of your most cherished mentor. AIDEN Oh. Well. Aiden looks over back to the window. It's now the dead of night. The full moon shines brightly in the dark sky. AIDEN It's... SPIRIT Midnight. That's important. (pause) Or, it WILL be important. Midnight. Your destiny. AIDEN My destiny? Spirit sits on Aiden's neatly made bed and smoothes out the sheets a little more than needed. SPIRIT Or shall I say, the midnight sun. That's when it'll count the most. AIDEN (no idea) The Midnight Sun. Right. SPIRIT You really have no clue, do you? You're here for a reason. Your whole life has been leading up to this moment. FLASHCUT: A sphere of energy glowing brightly. And again, the image of Aiden leaping off a belltower. AIDEN My friends. I have to get back to them. SPIRIT (knowingly again) Your friends. Are they really? AIDEN Yes. SPIRIT Friends. Enemies. They're interchangeable. One day you're crying on your shoulder. The next day they're ripping out your eyes with salted fingers. Aiden walks past Spirit and exits the bedroom. INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - AFTERLIFE Before Aiden can approach the stairs, SPIRIT appears, again, more than a little calm. SPIRIT Aiden. What good can come out of running from it? From me? From yourself? AIDEN I'm not running. I have to find a way back into my world. I have to get back before the sun sets across the ocean. SPIRIT And I do wish you good luck. But you have to see this first. He gestures to the wall, and we see the words "1.13 ETERNITY Death" sprawled in huge, bloody letters. Aiden stares at them, rigid. AIDEN I don't understand. SPIRIT You know that you do. AIDEN Is it supposed to to be a symbol? What does it mean? SPIRIT You're asking all the wrong questions. (facing the words) This is you. Made by you, FOR you. Aiden brings his hands to the letters, placing his hand over the "N" on the "ETERNITY". CLOSE UP - His hand, as the wall behind it disintigrates into nothing. WIDER - revealing he's now standing in a huge, beautiful desert-like scene, only there's trees and a breathtakingly wondrous sunset. One can assume it's an African landscape. Aiden wanders through, passing by several trees and dry bushes until he comes upon Spirit, standing there, taking in everything. AIDEN What time is it? SPIRIT 1:04. AIDEN That's too early. SPIRIT It is. (checks his watch) 1:13. Not yet. But soon. Aiden follows Spirit's glance. SPIRIT Beautiful. Isn't it? AIDEN Familiar. SPIRIT Familiar to anyone with a soul. (then) This is where life begins. Spirit turns the other direction, and gestures to a tall structure with his eyes. SPIRIT That is where life will end. AIDEN'S POV: looking to where Spirit indicates. A bell-tower. It can't be more than 10 stories high. AIDEN That shouldn't be there. SPIRIT Neither should you. But some things are beyond my control. Your friends will lead you here. Aiden and Spirit lock eyes. A tense moment passes. SPIRIT Your friends will introduce you. AIDEN Introduce me to who? SPIRIT (unnervingly calm) Death. We linger on Spirit (or Zeus') emotionless face. ZELDA (O.S.) I think I found something... CUT TO INT. AIDEN'S LIVING ROOM - THE LIVING WORLD Zelda and Destin are flipping through a buttload of Aiden's spell books. DESTIN What? ZELDA "'Bringing Back The Mind' a spell to reunite the body and the soul. Do not use on those deceased." DESTIN That's good. That could be it. ZELDA It's worth a try. Miguel should be back soon. DESTIN Where'd he go? ZELDA Getting all the witchy stuff I've accumulated over my years of being a wicca. I would've gone myself, but I, I didn't really wanna leave... They both glance over to Aiden. He remains inert. They look back at each other, sadly, wistfully. ZELDA You're not really the only person here that cares about him. DESTIN (smiles; genuinely) I'm starting to see that. A moment, and then they get back to business. DESTIN So. The only stuff about magick I know I've learned from Aiden. Is this spell hard to do? ZELDA It requires 15 minutes of intense meditation before performing it. Once you get past that, it's just your average candles-n- smelly-herbs-n-chanting incantation. Of course, there's a lot of theory involved here, but I really think it's worth a shot. We gotta call upon Djinn, The Master of Wishes. He's a pretty heavy-duty guy... but it's worth it. Or, it WILL be worth it... DESTIN (sadly) I just wanna get him back. ZELDA (equally saddened) We all do, Destin. BACK ON AIDEN He stares past the CAMERA, his face as cold as ice. ZELDA (O.S.) We all do... BLACK OUT Insert commercials. ACT 3 INT. HALL OF MIRRORS - AFTERLIFE Aiden and Spirit stroll through exactly what the title of scene is describing. A hall of mirrors. SPIRIT It all comes together here, friend. All here. AIDEN My reflections. THE MIRRORS do not reflect Spirit or Aiden at all. They seem to be monsters... demons... things that go bump in the night. AIDEN (confused) That's... that's not me. Aiden slowly walks closer to one mirror. The demon on the otherside, the green scales and bloody horns type, approaches it in the exact same manner. SPIRIT This is not what you see. This is what your mind sees, everytime you look at your self. Hideous. Demonic. A monster. Aiden and his demon reflection touch their hands against the mirror surface softly. They stare at each other for a long time. SPIRIT Pretty soon... you're all you'll be fighting. Aiden lets that sink in. DISSOLVE TO INT. AIDEN'S LIVING ROOM - THE LIVING WORLD The only light is provided by the plethora of candles spread about the room. Zelda sits on the floor in the classic 'trance' position, in front of TorpidAiden. Incense smoke wafts through the air. DESTIN AND MIGUEL watch from the hallway, trying very hard to make as little sound as possible. They speak in whispers. MIGUEL How long is it gonna be? DESTIN I think, five more minutes. It's a good thing you came back when you did. MIGUEL Yeah. Didn't really wanna take my time gathering scary blades and things labelled "blood stones" from Zelda's house. When are her parents coming back, anyway? DESTIN No idea. Aiden said they haven't called or emailed or anything'd yet. Sad. MIGUEL Very. Beat. They go on watching her for a couple more seconds, then... DESTIN Look, Miguel, I'm sorry that I snapped and everything... MIGUEL Please, don't apologize. I understood. When I was at Zelda's just a while back, I... kinda started, you know... DESTIN Crying? MIGUEL In a manly way, of course. DESTIN Of course. MIGUEL I just thought to myself, "What if Aiden never wakes up?". Then I just... He looks down at his feet, eyes becoming misty. MIGUEL Well, it's starting again. DESTIN It's okay to cry, man. You've known Aiden way longer than I have. You're his best friend, and I -- MIGUEL (almost losing it) What if he's like that because of me? What if the ghosts, or whatever the hell that was, made him re-evaluate his life, and then he thought all the way back to when he came out to me... and how horrible I was to him... I just hope this thing is gonna work... The CAMERA goes past them and focuses on Zelda: eyes shut, her face serene, yet intense. INT. PLAYGROUND - THE AFTERLIFE The weather is rather warm and sunny. Several children play actively around a sandbox/playground type of deal. Aiden and Spirit sit on a bench shaded under a tree, watching them observedly. AIDEN They're so happy. SPIRIT They're innocent. Pure of mind, pure of heart. AIDEN They're me. SPIRIT They're PART of you. AIDEN I want them to be all me. The real me. SPIRIT Sooner than you know, you will be. Suddenly, a DEMON, the very same one Aiden saw in his reflection, appears in the sandbox. Nobody reacts to him. AIDEN Why is HE here? SPIRIT To prove a point. The demon takes the hand of one child, a little boy no older than 6, and walks toward them silently. SPIRIT You've already realized that your life has always been bound in a dual role. Being somebody on the outside, and somebody on the inside. Aiden looks to Spirit, then to the demon and the child. SPIRIT Your heart, your mind, your spirit. Always shrouded, never to be revealed to anyone. That isn't up to you at all. It's up to them. AIDEN Them? They look to the right of them, to see MIGUEL and ZELDA standing in a row, their backs turned to Aiden and Spirit. SPIRIT Them. AIDEN Where's Destin? SPIRIT He's where you're supposed to be. You're where HE'S supposed to be. AIDEN (not getting it) We're supposed to be together. SPIRIT Wrong again. Aiden looks back to the demon and the child, only to discover the demon is gone. AIDEN Where did he go? SPIRIT To an abyss. That's where they're all heading. An abyss of the lost... (then) It's almost time to go. AIDEN But there's so much more to see. SPIRIT Some things aren't meant to be seen, Dark. ANGLE: The shadow of a male figure lurks behind the playground maze set. It moves with the stealth of a cat. AIDEN Someone's here. SPIRIT Someone isn't? AIDEN Behind the playground - I saw someone. He stands up, and immediately, the little BOY runs away screaming. The shadowed man slithers away, towards The Dwellers. AIDEN (realizing) This isn't the afterlife. This is my mind. (to Spirit) You're just my subconscious. SPIRIT Wrong, little boy. I am indeed Spirit. AIDEN Oh. Was I right about this being my mind? SPIRIT You aren't very sure yourself, are you? They turn and see the shadowed man, plus The Dwellers, disappear in a cloud of blue smoke. SPIRIT Your exit is being anticipated. By them and The Guardian. AIDEN How much longer? SPIRIT Once they finish. CUT TO INT. AIDEN'S LIVING ROOM - THE LIVING WORLD Zelda is now out of her trance, although she still sits on the floor, facing TorpidAiden. Miguel and Destin sit on each side of her, although a few feet behind. Herbs, clay pentacles, athames, chalices, sands, and several other magikcal doo-dads are laid out around them. ZELDA (eyes locked on Aiden) You guys ready? MIGUEL Very. DESTIN Very very. Zelda inhales. All three of them raise a pillar candle. Zelda's is green, Miguel's is red, Destin's is blue. Aiden's candle, situated in front of him, is white. They're all unlit, but everyone holds a lighter in their free hand. ZELDA Orisa Djinn - The Master of The Wish. Spirit of spirits. Bringer of all. We implore you to hear us; to bring about his fall. ANGLE: Aiden, as the CAMERA inches in on him dramatically. ZELDA (O.S.) Throw his demons and thoughts of sin into an abyss of the lost therein. INT. PLAYGROUND - AIDEN'S MIND/AFTERLIFE Aiden and Spirit watch in awe as the children begin running away - far, far away, screaming in fear. AIDEN What's going on? SPIRIT They're ripping you away. AIDEN Why? It's so nice here. SPIRIT They want you back. I thought that was the point. AIDEN No! It's not! It's not... INT. AIDEN'S LIVING ROOM - LIVING WORLD - SAME CONT'D. ZELDA (lighting her candle) By the powers of earth. ANGLE: Aiden's unlit white candle. ZELDA The Air... DESTIN (lights his candle) The Water... MIGUEL (lights his) ...and The Fire. ZELDA Bring forth the wish behind our desire. They bring their three respective candles and light Aiden's white candle simutaneously. ALL Fly to the heavens, fiery bird. Bring back the fact behind the word. As the candlelight falls on Aiden's emotionless face, a dull blue LIGHT begins shimmering around Aiden, almost like his aura. ANGLE: Destin's hand. It glows a heavenly light. He begins to wiggle his fingers purposefully. ANGLE: The dull blue light turns sharper. DESTIN (under his breath) Come on... come on... INT. HALL OF MIRRORS - AIDEN'S MIND/AFTERLIFE - CONTD Now, Aiden and Spirit run through this gloomy place. The mirrors do not reflect them at all. AIDEN Where are they? Where are my demons? WHERE ARE MY DEMONS? SPIRIT Right in front of you. AIDEN'S POV: Looking ahead, seeing... THE DEMONS that were once captured inside the mirrors are now assembled right in front of them, standing in a line. SPIRIT They're leaving you. AIDEN But they shouldn't be! SPIRIT I know. (sadder) But they need you there. As above, so below. One by one, the demons begin MELDING into one another, amalgamating, forming one frightening presence... THE SHADOWED MAN standing before them. And like before, we see no features or anything. We just know he's a man. And shadowy. AIDEN Him. Again. SPIRIT Don't underestimate him. You're the key. He's the lock. You need him, he needs you. THE MAN RUNS suddenly, sprinting with the speed of a cheetah. Aiden and Spirit follow suit. INT. AIDEN'S LIVING ROOM - LIVING WORLD - CONTD The light around Aiden begins getting stronger, brighter, larger and... bluer. It begins to form a sort of comatose tornado above Aiden, shooting out into the ceiling, falling upward. ZELDA Capture his demons Banish his sins An abyss to the lost His demons to his kin. Destin and Miguel watch unwaveringly. INT. AFRICAN LANDSCAPE - AIDEN'S MIND/AFTERLIFE - CONTD The shadowed man runs, farther away, almost out of sight. Still, Aiden and Spirit never break their equally break-necked pace. Several giraffes look on. INT. AIDEN'S LIVING ROOM - LIVING WORLD - CONTD The blue aura gets stronger, and stronger. EXT. AIDEN'S HOME - NIGHT A bird's eyes view of the house. The BLUE AURA BEAM shoots out of the roof and is hurled toward us with magnificent speed. ANGLE: The blue beam as it hits the clear dark sky. It almost looks like a cloud is being formed... INT. AIDEN'S ROOM - THE AFTERLIFE MIND - CONTD The shadowed man hurries within, and drops to the ground. Looks almost exhausted. Aiden and Spirit nearly break inside, only to see THE SHADOWED MAN bathed in the very same blue aura-ish light. SPIRIT This is it. Almost. Almost. INT. AIDEN'S LIVING ROOM - REAL WORLD - CONTD Same. ALL Capture his demons Banish his sins... INT. AIDEN'S ROOM - AFTERLIFE MIND - SAME Aiden and the man, now both completely bathed in the light, look to Spirit with fearful anticipation. SPIRIT I can do naught but warn you, my dear friend. AIDEN Of what? SPIRIT The end. (watches Aiden/then) The end will be marked by a shadow in the sky. And you will be there to see it. ANGLE: Aiden's face as he slowly reacts to that. AIDEN I don't wanna leave! SPIRIT It is not your place to stay. I bid you farewell, and good luck. Believe me when I say you will need it. ALL (V.O.) An abyss to the lost His demons to his kin... AIDEN Will... will we ever see each other again? SPIRIT You will see me when the time is appropriate. Again, I bid you farewell... ALL (V.O.) Connect his mind, his body, his soul. Make his essence pure and whole! And with a fantastic BOOM, both Aiden and the Man disappear in a frightening WHITE-OUT of the screen. SMASH CUT TO: INT. AIDEN'S LIVING ROOM Another BIRD'S EYE VIEW - this time, of AIDEN, as... HIS HEAD SUDDENLY SNAPS BACK, his blank eyes looking almost directly up at the CAMERA. For a split second, Aiden's awake, but then he's catatonic again. His head snaps back down. WIDER - a shadowed form suddenly ESCAPES through Aiden and his hurled upward through the blue beamed aura. This all happens so fast that MIGUEL, ZELDA hardly see it. DESTIN, however, watches it as it ascends quickly into the sky... INT. NIGHT SKY - SAME The shadowed man and the accumilating aura cloud HIT with the frightening velocity of the Titanic hitting the iceberg. INT. AIDEN'S LIVING ROOM - CONTD The very moment the man and the sky hit, is the very moment when AIDEN suddenly jerks awake. Frightened, cold, scared. He takes in a huge gulp of air, shivering down to his soul. HIS POV: vision is blurred horribly. ON MIGUEL, ZELDA AND DESTIN as they slowly stand, their rates of reaction all going off at different speeds. Very slowly, very quietly... DESTIN ...Aiden...? ANGLE: AIDEN as he reaches to his face and touches it, lightly. He takes in his surroundings, and who's with him. AIDEN (weakly) I... I have a headache... FADE TO INT. AIDEN'S LIVING ROOM - TIME CUT Probably around an hour later. The witchy stuff has been put away, and tv is on, and it's LOUD. A wacky episode of the Simpsons. DESTIN is on the couch, with Aiden, an arm wrapped around his shoulder protectively. Aiden looks pretty out of it, his small eyes staring at the bright tv screen. He's resting his head on Destin's shoulder. Destin isn't watching tv at all. DESTIN We missed you, Aiden. Some of us... some of us thought you wouldn't come back... Aiden looks to Destin, smiles appreciatively (albeit subdued), says nothing. His expression instantly goes numb. MIGUEL AND ZELDA are at the foyer. Zelda opens the door for him as he slips on his jacket. MIGUEL You sure he'll be okay? ZELDA He'll be fine. He's just getting over the post-catatonia. It'll be a while, but he'll be okay. MIGUEL I mean, if you want me to stay, or something... ZELDA Miguel? Just go. Sleep. Please. You earned it. MIGUEL (smiles softly) I just wish there was more I could do. They hug, tenderly. ZELDA I know. I know. MIGUEL Call me tomorrow. First thing in the morning. ZELDA I promise. They break apart, smile sadly, then Miguel leaves. Zelda closes the door behind him, heads back to the LIVING ROOM. She awkwardly takes a seat beside Aiden. ZELDA Hey. AIDEN (absently) Hey. Zelda and Destin exchange looks. ZELDA Feeling any better? Has the aspirin kicked in yet? AIDEN Not. Yet. The-the headache is still pretty... achey. ZELDA Oh. Well. If you wanted, I could... AIDEN (looks to the foyer) Where did Miguel go? Beat. ZELDA Oh, he, uh, he left. AIDEN (sadly) Oh. He stands up suddenly, which causes a little alarm for both of his friends. They stand, too. DESTIN Aiden? What's wrong? AIDEN Nnn-nn-nnothing. Got things to ddd-d-do. Aiden walks into the foyer. He looks to his right, sees a large, filled garbage bag lying there. Zelda and Destin follow him, concerned. ZELDA What is it? AIDEN The, the garbage. Who's... ZELDA I was gonna take it out tomorrow morning. AIDEN I'll do that. (pauses) I-I'll do that now. ZELDA Are you sure? Do you need a-- Aiden grabs the heavy garbage bag and heads out the door, saying nothing. ZELDA (sighs) ... helping hand. Destin turns to her, bothered, worried and frightened at the same time. DESTIN What's wrong with him? Is it us? What did we do? ZELDA I don't know. This isn't like Buffy when the Scoobies were pretty sure they were bringing her back from hell when she was actually in heaven. We didn't know where he was. (looks out the door) And I don't think he does, either. EXT. AIDEN'S HOUSE - STREET CURB - CONTD The night air is chilly, although this doesn't bother Aiden at all. He approaches the curb, and drops the bag into the green plastic garbage bin. He looks confused, lost, scared, frightened, angry and blank all at the same time. Mostly lost. AIDEN'S POV: He looks up into the sky. The cloud remains. It looks rather odd, it's the only cloud in the otherwise perfect night sky. SPIRIT (V.O.) I can do naught but warn you, my dear friend. AIDEN (to himself, very quietly) Of what? SPIRIT (V.O.) The end. (beat) The end will be marked by a shadow in the sky. And you will be there to see it. AIDEN'S POV (again): The cloud swirls, always changing form, yet still remaining a constant size. Aiden blinks... and it's gone. Disappeared without a trace. REACTION SHOT - Aiden's confused expression turns pained as he begins realizing the meaning of those words. DISSOLVE TO INT. CONSTRUCTION SITE - SAME NIGHT Abandoned and empty. It appears as if a company was building an apartment complex... then gave up halfway. Various shtuff such as tools, cement, bricks and other construction stuff is scattered about. THE CLOUD is swirling above the site, becoming smaller, and, and smaller... before disapearing entirely. The CAMERA pans toward some rubbel, where the SHADOWED MAN lays. Except, no, wait, it's an actual living, breathing man. He looks like hes in his mid-30s, handsome, Wolverine-ish. He looks like this is first day on earth. CLOSE UP: Slowly, he opens his eyes, takes a look around. The man stands up. A harsh realization forms - MAN Ai... den... - right before he collapses back onto the floor. BLACK OUT END OF EPISODE Executive Producer Jack McVee