SAMPLE PAGES
FROM
ACT TWO:
Alec, a young graduate student, has just been informed that
the mother of Kola, a young gorilla he's been training to speak
sign language, is gravely ill.
INT. LOBBY, ZOO CLINIC - NIGHT
Alec and Maddie dash in. Tim is waiting.
TIM
The gorillas have come down with
some kind of infection.
ALEC
Damn it!
TIM
Kola's mother's real bad.
As they walk down the hall:
ALEC
What about Kola?
TIM
Okay so far.
ALEC
Keep her in the trailer until we
know more. I don't want to take any
chances.
INT. TREATMENT ROOM - NIGHT
They walk in. Kola's mother is stretched out motionless on
an exam table.
A VETERINARIAN adjusts an IV bottle feeding into the
animal's arm.
ALEC
How's she doing?
VETERINARIAN
Fluid in her lungs. She's going
downhill fast.
ALEC
What is it?
VETERINARIAN
Probably bacterial. The others only
seem to have mild cases.
Alec strokes the animal's arm. No response.
INT. CLINIC LOBBY - NIGHT
Tim, Alec and Maddie come in to find Roland waiting for
them.
ROLAND
How is she?
ALEC
Not good.
ROLAND
Kola?
ALEC
Fine so far.
ROLAND
Thank God.
Alec flashes him a prickly glance.
ALEC
I'm gonna run up and see her.
TIM
I'll go with you.
ALEC
I think it's best if we don't tell
Kola anything until we know more.
A beat. Everyone's a little surprised by this.
MADDIE
That's not fair.
ALEC
I don't want her upset.
MADDIE
It's her mother, for God's sake!
She has a right to know.
ALEC
I'm just trying to protect her.
MADDIE
You're also patronizing her.
ALEC
What the hell is that supposed to
mean?
MADDIE
You're treating her like your own
personal property. She's not just a
subject in your big, important
experiment!
Alec says nothing for a moment. He wants very much to be
angry. But he's having trouble pushing back the
frightening realization that perhaps she's right.
ALEC
I'm reponsible for that animal. And
I'm telling you -- hold off -- at
least for now.
And he walks out.
INT. CLINIC LOBBY - DAWN
Tim's asleep in a chair. Maddie plays solitaire. They look
tired and drained. They've been here a while.
Maddie glances out the window. Taps Tim awake. They turn
to see Alec approaching with Kola on a leash.
As she comes inside, Kola BABBLES brightly, glad to see
everyone. Alec leads her down the hall.
INT. TREATMENT ROOM - DAWN
Alec releases Kola. She moves to the table. Alec and the
Vet step outside. Close the door.
Kola sniffs at her mother. Pats her arm. Signs.
INT. HALLWAY - DAWN
Through the window.
Kola pulls harder at her mother's arm. No response. She
signs "Love Mother" several times. Sniffs. JABBERS some
more.
Then she lets out a quiet, plaintive SIGH.
Enfolds her mother's body in her arms.
Rocks slowly back and forth.
INT. TREATMENT ROOM - DAY
The exam table is empty.
Kola sits in a corner.
Alec sits on the floor with her.
He touches her. She looks at him. Her face is blank. But
there is no mistaking the grief in her eyes.
Kola signs. Alec speaks and signs.
KOLA/SUBTITLE
Why Mother Die?
ALEC
Sick.
KOLA/SUBTITLE
Trouble Sick.
ALEC
Yes. Trouble Sick.
A long pause.
ALEC
How do gorillas feel when they die?
Happy? Sad? Afraid?
KOLA/SUBTITLE
Asleep.
ALEC
Where do you think gorillas go when
they die?
KOLA/SUBTITLE
Hole Ground Bye.
ALEC
Do you feel sad, Kola?
She nods.
ALEC
Me too. I feel sad.
KOLA/SUBTITLE
Kola Sad Alec Sad.
ALEC
Yes.
KOLA/SUBTITLE
Love Mother.
ALEC
Yes.
KOLA/SUBTITLE
Love Mother love.
--------------------------
FROM ACT THREE:
Kola has been captured by a fanatic
who believes teaching a
gorilla to 'speak' is against biblical prophecy. Alec has
come to rescue Kola and has also been taken prisoner.
INT. ATTIC ROOM
Alec makes a final stab with the knife. The cauking on the
window pane crumbles. He grabs the glass quickly so it
won't fall.
EXT. TV STUDIO
Alec glides down a moonlit pathway toward the structure.
When a GUARD in a 4x4 patrol vehicle passes on a
nearby road, he leaps off the walk. Slips behind the
building.
INT. SCENE SHOP
A massive scenery door slides open. Illuminates the
immense room in frosty moonlight. Alec creeps inside.
Rolls the door closed.
INT. TV STUDIO
Alec moves to the cage where Kola is imprisoned. Kola jabbers.
Signs "Out, out".
ALEC
Don't worry, Kola. I'll get you
out.
EXT. FRIENDS OF FAITH GROUNDS
Fox takes a final drag on his cigarette. Carefully snuffs
it out. His cell phone rings.
INTERCUT:
EXT. ALTURA ZOO
The Man whispers into his phone.
FOF MAN
(on phone)
The FBI traced the check. The
Sheriff's on his way out there with
the Highway Patrol.
FOX
(on phone)
Shit!
FOF MAN
What are you going to do?
FOX
I don't know. But I'm not going
___
back to jail.
INT. TV STUDIO
Alec struggles with the door to the cage. Pries at it with
a heavy lightstand.
Fox slips in from the control room. Pulls a Browning .380
automatic out of his jacket. And a ring of keys.
He approaches. Kola signs wildly. JABBERS. Alec turns. Fox
levels the weapon at him.
FOX
Stand back.
Reaches into a cabinet on the edge of the set. Gets a can
of paint thinner.
The can CLATTERS hollowly as Fox sloshes waves of paint
thinner around the cage and on the studio floor outside
the bars.
He opens the cage with a key. Pushes Alec inside.
Then he steps inside with him.
Locks the door behind them.
ALEC
What the hell are you doing!
Fox gets a cigarette.
Alec tenses. Surveys the
GLEAMING, VOLATILE
pools of liquid on the floor outside the bars.
Fox lights up. Kola SNIFFS the air. Smells the fumes and
Alec's fear.
FOX
Do you believe in the hereafter?
Alec is silent.
Without warning, Fox flings the cigarette through the
bars. The studio floor ERUPTS in a ring of flames.
Kola is petrified. She SLAMS her back against the cage.
Wheels around. Clammers up the bars to the ceiling.
Time has run out. And there are no other choices.
Alec lunges at Fox. He fires a single shot. It strikes
Alec hard in the shoulder. He rolls to the floor. Screams
in pain.
ALEC
Key, Kola! KEY!!
Above him, Kola struggles desperately with her own terror.
And the danger she sees for Alec.
ALEC
(signs)
KEY - OPEN - DOOR!!!
A long beat.
It happens unexpectedly.
A switch seems to
CLICK
in Kola's brain.
CONSCIOUSNESS
SWEEPS
ACROSS
HER FACE.
She leaps from the ceiling. Sails through the air. Lands
directly behind Fox.
In a flash, Kola disarms him. Flings the gun through the
bars. She fumbles with the key ring. Tries several keys.
Finally unlocks the cage door.
She snatches Alec up. Carries him outside the cage.
EXT. FRIENDS OF FAITH GROUNDS
Smoke vents from the studio. The Guard notices. Speeds
toward the studio in his 4x4.
INT. TV STUDIO
Alec struggles with his pain.
Inside, FOX steps deliberately into a burning pool of
paint thinner. Covers his face.
Kola heads back inside the cage.
ALEC
Kola, no!
But it's too late.
FOX's body
EXPLODES
into flame.
He
ROCKS
back and forth on
BLISTERED
DISINTEGRATING
legs.
MOANING.
Then collapses
into ash
on the blazing floor.
END SAMPLE
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