AMANDA DARLING

the story of the crossing

Fade In: Bedroom, Day. Sunlight peaking through the crimson closed blinds in the corner of the room. A girl (Amanda, age sixteen, blonde hair mostly covering her eyes) is sitting on her bed with the dark blue sheets. She is staring at the wall, away from the blinding sun. By the looks of her reddened face and damp eyes the audience can make a safe assumption that she's been crying. She is staring at the wall, blankely...

AMANDA
Is he here now? Waiting for his girl...I should go to him.

Her concentration on the wall builds for moments finally the door slams and her mother ( a worn out-looking woman holding a basket of dirty laundry) enters.

MOTHER
Ya' got anythin' for the load?

AMANDA
Not now mom...

MOTHER
'manda? You k' dear?

AMANDA
I don't need anything, thank you...you can go now.

MOTHER

You're gonna' learn how ta' talk to me.

AMANDA
I'm sorry...just distracted

Amandas eyes have not left her wall.

The mother walks all the way in and puts the basket down. She opens the blinds all the way and the room is flooded with light. Amanda cringes as if someone is scratching nails down a chalkboard, slowly.

AMANDA
Shut it! SHUT it!

MOTHER

No, you never go outside, sunlight is good fer' ya'.

AMANDA
I don't need your help mother...

The mother picks up her basket and leaves the room slamming the door behind her.

Amanda stands up off her bed and shuts the blinds. She runs back to her bed and jumps on and stares back at the wall.

AMANDA
I'm sorry about that. That was my mother...she doesn't know about you yet. I promise that I'm gonna' tell her 'bout you one day. Just not yet...YES! I'm going to tell her...please don't rush me. What's to become of my mother when this all goes down? Are you sure...? When does this happen...I'm sorry! I'm sorry...I won't ask anymore questions!

Cut To: Evening, Same Day. Amanda sitting at the kitchen table Her and her mother are sitting across eachother. They aren't looking at eachother. The mother is staring down at her plate and Amanda is staring at the chair next to her as if someone is there. There is an awkward silence that even the audience can feel. The silence goes on until the quiet becomes tedious.

AMANDA
NO!

Her mother drops her fork and looks at Amanda in surprise...

MOTHER

I'm sorry...?

AMANDA
NO! NO! I won't do it! There's another way! ...yes...I love her...I'll do it because I love her...

MOTHER
Amanda? What the hell are you talking about?

AMANDA now crying

I'll do it if I love her...I'll do it if I love her...

MOTHER
AMANDA! I'm talking to you god damn it.

Amanda stands up knocking her chair over in the process. She runs over to her mother. Her mother stands up and they are staring at eachother face to face.

AMANDA
I love you mommy! I love you...and I want to say goodbye...I don't wanna' leave without a goodbye...

MOTHER
Goodbye? Honey I'm not going anywhere...

AMANDA
You don't get it! I'm leaving! He told me everything...he told me...

MOTHER
Amanda...nobody told you anything...what are you talking about?

AMANDA
He's been getting me ready...to cross. Teaching me...

MOTHER
Cross? What are you talking about?

AMANDA
I'm fucking dying mom!

Amandas mother sits down on her chair and holds her head up with her hand.

MOTHER
Explain to me slowly...WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON AMANDA!?

AMANDA
I could explain...

MOTHER
Better start...

AMANDA
A year ago...

Flashback to ONE YEAR EARLIER: Amandas bedroom on her computer with her window wide open, the wind blowing in. She is typing away quickly and laughing every few moments. Suddenly there is a bang across the room. Coming from the wall (that she was staring at earlier in the film).

AMANDA
Mom?

There is no answer, amanda goes back to typing. There is another sudden bang. Amanda looks over frustrated. XCU: Amandas eyes, widening.

AMANDA
Oh My God...

There written on the wall is this : DON'T TELL A SOUL THAT I'M HERE NOW

AMANDA

What the fu...

Amanda stands up and walks over to the wall and touches her hand to the red writing on the wall. From the other side of the wall there is another bang. Amanda falls back.

AMANDA
What...what do you want?

VOICE
You need to listen, listen to me now.

AMANDA
Who are you?

VOICE
Don't worry about who I am.

The voice is that of a ghostly female.

AMANDA
Well what do you want?

VOICE
You don't have much more time here. You're crossing over soon.

AMANDA
Crossing over...like die?

VOICE
Death is only part of it.

AMANDA
No...nobody else gets a warning from an eerie voice inside a wall before they die...so what's the sitch?

VOICE
You're not just going to die. You're part of the spiral. The final days of earth. Few are taken before it happens, the purest of souls.

AMANDA
How do I die?

VOICE
I can't answer that now...all I can tell you is that you must learn. You must listen to me.

AMANDA
I'm listening. I'm...here.

FLASH FORWARD: PRESENT, Amanda standing in front of her mother. Her mother slaps her across the face. A look of disbelief crawls across Amandas face.

AMANDA
MOM!

MOTHER
Go to bed.

AMANDA

You HAVE to believe me...

MOTHER

Go to bed Amanda.

AMANDA
I wanted to say goodbye...I'm not going to heaven like the rest, I'm going to apart of something bigger.

MOTHER
STOP! JUST FUCKING STOP! It's BULLSHIT! Now go to bed.

Amanda stares at her mother. Her face saddens. Her face fills with hopelessness.

AMANDA
Goodbye mom...I...

Amanda starts to try and hold back tears.

AMANDA
...I love you.

MOTHER

GoodNIGHT.

Amanda exits. Her mother sits back down and sighs.

CUT TO: Next Morning, Amandas Bedroom. She is laying there with her eyes closed. She is dead. Her mother walks in the room.

MOTHER
Amanda it's time to...

The mother stops short and sees her daughter laying there. She pauses for a moment.

MOTHER
AMANDA! AMANDA!

Her mother runs over and stars shaking her.

MOTHER cont'd

AMANDA! NO! NO! AMANDA! WAKE UP.

In the corner in the back of the room, Amanda (her spirit) is standing there watching her mother shake her body. She wipes a tear from her eye. She stares at her mother as her mothers voice becomes more and more hopeless. The camera rotates around Amanda as she walks off-screen.