IT WAS A WARM QUIET NIGHT FOR KITE FLYING.

CUT TO:

THE WOODS. THE MOON IS RISING RED AND DISTORTED. WE HEAR THE RAPID FOOTSTEPS OF SOMEONE RUNNING OVER TWIGS, OVER A STREAM. MENDACIOUS, EARLY 30'S, COMES PANTING INTO FRAME. SHE LEANS OVER, CATCHING HER BREATH, WIPING THE SWEAT OFF HER BROW. SHE GLANCES AROUND TO GAIN HER BEARINGS. THE MOONLIGHT IS DIM UNDER THE CANOPY.

M: FUCK.

THE BREEZE IS LIGHT AND IT CHILLS HER QUICKLY. SHE TURNS TO SEE PENELOPE, BLONDE, LATE 20'S, JOGGING UP BEHIND HER. SHE STOPS SLIGHTLY WINDED, GRIPPING THE HANDLE OF A KITE AND SOME STRING TRAILING ALONG.

PEN: THERE YOU ARE.
M: WHERE'D IT GO?!

(PEN SHAKES HER HEAD.)

PEN: I DON'T KNOW.(beat) COME ON, COME BACK TO CAMP.

MENDACIOUS IGNORES HER AND CONTINUES TO WALK FURTHER INTO THE WOODS.

M: I SAW IT GO THIS WAY.
PEN: WE CAN LOOK FOR IT TOMORROW.
M: IT'LL BE TOO LATE TOMORROW.
PEN: IT'S JUST A KITE.

MENDACIOUS WALKS ON A BIT FURTHER.

M: I KNOW IT'S HERE.

PEN LOOKS NERVOUS BUT CONTINUES TO WALK WITH HER. MENDACIOUS STOPS AND EYES PENELOPE.

M: CAN YOU CLIMB THAT TREE?

(PEN FURROWS HER FACE, HEARS A NOISE AND HER EYES DART AROUND.)

PEN: LET'S JUST GO BACK TO CAMP.

M: OKAY WE'LL BOTH CLIMB THE TREE.

PEN: THIS IS RIDICULOUS.

M: I HAVE TO FIND IT.

PEN: IT COULD'VE TAKEN IT ANYWHERE. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE IT FROM A TREE.

M: (FRUSTRATED) THE BEAR CAME UP AT THIS POINT (MOTIONING WITH HER HANDS) AND THEN RAN THIS WAY- HOW FAR COULD HE HAVE TAKEN IT?

PEN: FAR.

M: I HAVE TO KEEP LOOKING.

THIS TIME A LOUD HOWLING SOUND ECHOS THRU THE WOODS. PENELOPE WHIPS AROUND TO SEE WHERE IT CAME FROM AND WHEN SHE TURNS BACK MENDACIOUS IS GONE. SHE STANDS STALK STILL, GRIPPING THE KITE STRING HARDER.

PEN: FUCK. FUCKING FUCK. MENDACIOUS!

WE HEAR OC:
M: IT'S MY KITE!
(PEN TAKES OFF RUNNING. CAM FOLLOWS HER CLOSELY. SHE HALTS ALMOST FALLING OVER AT THE EDGE OF A CLEARING. A BIRD SCREECHES AND THEN FLIES QUICKLY OVERHEAD. WE SEE THE KITE DANGLING OFF A LOW BRANCH- AND TRULY IT IS A GLORIOUS KITE, LIKE A WARM FIRE IN THE COOL MOONLIGHT. PENELOPE TAKES IN THE SCENE. MENDACIOUS IS INCHING TOWARD THE TREE WHERE THE KITE IS TRAPPED. BUT THERE IS A BEAR GUARDING ITS DEN AND A WOLF SNARLING AROUND IT. THE BEAR SEEMS TO BE CONFLICTED, PROTECT THE KITE OR WHAT LIES WITHIN THE DEN. MENDACIOUS WON'T BE STOPPED, UNTIL SHE REALIZES THE TREE IS TOO TALL FOR HER TO GET A FOOTHOLD. SHE LOOKS AROUND- SEEING PENELOPE SHE FLAGS HER OVER. PEN SHAKES HER HEAD, NO. BUT MENDACIOUS HOLDS OUT HER HANDS IN EXASPERATION. PENELOPE ROLLS HER EYES. MENDACIOUS MOUTHS THE WORDS, PLEASE?! PENELOPE RELENTS AND MAKES HER WAY TO MENDACIOUS. SHE BOOSTS PENELOPE UP TO THE TREE BRANCH, AND PEN INCHES SLOWLY ALONG IT WHILE MENDACIOUS TRIES TO DISTRACT THE BEAR BY THROWING STONES BEHIND IT. JUST AS PENELOPE SNATCHES IT, THE BEAR SWIPES AT IT TRYING TO GET IT BACK. PEN LOSES HER BALANCE AND JUST THEN THE WOLF SEIZES THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTACK THE BEAR. PEN FALLS FROM THE BRANCH AND MENDACIOUS BREAKS HER FALL. PULLING HER UP AND GRABBING THE KITE THEY MAKE A RUN FOR IT, JUST AS THE BEAR LUNGES FOR THEM AGAIN.)

M: MY HEART'S GOING TO EXPLODE.
PEN: KEEP RUNNING.

THERE IS A WIDE SMILE ON MENDACIOUS' FACE.

M: I GOT MY KITE.
PEN: SHUT UP.


CUT TO: EARLY MORNING, NEXT DAY.

MENDACIOUS IS ON THE GROUND SITTING CROSS-LEGGED IN FRONT OF THE CAMP, STITCHING HER KITE AS THE BEAR HAD RIPPED IT THE NIGHT BEFORE.

JACK: COME ON WE'RE GETTING OUT OF HERE.
RICHARD: THIS PLACE IS CREEPING ME OUT.

PENELOPE COMES OUT OF THE TRUCK.

PEN: 2 SECONDS MENDACIOUS. THAT'S IT. THAT'S ALL YOU HAVE.
M: OKAY I'LL BE RIGHT BACK.

JACK,RICHARD,PEN: WE'LL GO WITH YOU.

M: NO REALLY GUYS I'LL BE RIGHT BACK...

THEY IGNORE HER AND WALK WITH HER TO THE OPEN FIELD.

~ fin