Broken Sky

EXT. CLIFF SIDE - DAY OVER THE SHOULDER

Two people sit with their backs to us. We see a cliff on the outskirts of Los Angeles overlooking the city skyline below. Above the sun is out and shining, but something is off about the color of the sky. It's a deeper blue, purples and greens bleeding into the blue.

ANGLE ON

AMY and LOGAN sit together on the grassy cliff, watching the city below. We HEAR sirens in the distance. The two people seem unconcerned with the color of the sky or the noise below, though they do seem uneasy. Logan holds a phone with a countdown running on the screen.

AMY

Is that countdown accurate?

LOGAN

I don't think they would lie to us about this kinda thing.

Amy plays with one of the strings on her sweatshirt. She is in her late teens, small of frame with mousy brown hair.

There's paint caked under her fingernails and her clothes are an eccentric mix of colors that still seem to go together.

AMY

Really? You think the government wouldn't lie to us?

LOGAN

Well, I mean... not about something

like this.

Logan draws his knees closer into himself. He's tall and lanky, the position looking awkward for his body. The same age as Amy, he's got the nerdy professor vibe going on with his tweed jacket with elbow patches thrown on the ground next to him.

A small radio sits beside them. It plays upbeat songs. They clash with the signs of panic below.

There's a sudden flash of light in the sky and the strange colors in the sky deepen. Neither Amy nor Logan seem overly concerned about it, yet their bodies look tense.

AMY

It's just so hard to believe. I thought, well maybe I hoped, it was just a really elaborate practical joke. That this time the government was actually lying to us.

LOGAN

(forced chuckle)

I mean it would be the worst kind of joke. "Hey, guys, it's fine. The world is just gonna end in a huge fiery ball in a month. And we have no idea what it is or how to stop it. Nobody panic." Easy way to lose an election.

AMY

Yeah...

She trails off. They fall quiet. Another flash in the sky is followed by more sirens coming from the city below. Up on the cliff, Amy and Logan are utterly alone. Both seem to sit with the shoulders hunched more than when the scene began.

LOGAN

Have any regrets? Anything you always wanted to do?

AMY

Sky dive. Sky dive?

LOGAN AMY

Yes, sky dive. Always wanted to do it. Better than rollercoasters.

LOGAN

Why didn't you-

AMY

"Why didn't I just do it in the month I had?" Good question. If you're under

18 you need a guardian to do it with you. Since I'm guardian-less they wouldn't let me do it.

LOGAN

The company wouldn't make an exception? Considering the

circumstances?

AMY

(Sharply)

You mean the world ending?

Beat. Amy looks at Logan and then looks away back towards the city below.

AMY (CONT'D)

(resigned)

Sorry, I didn't mean that. But no, they wouldn't. They were of the majority that didn't think the world would end. So here I sit. Sky dive- less. What about you?

Logan shrugs, shuffling his feet in the loose dirt on the cliff side.

LOGAN

Oh, you know, normal things. See the world, get in shape, learn a language. Normal things.

AMY

Wow, Logan, I had no idea you were so basic.

LOGAN

(defensively)

Hey! I am not basic, there were other things...

AMY

Oh? Like what?

She leans closer to him. Logan doesn't notice.

LOGAN

It's too embarrassing...

AMY

Really? The world is going to end in like 7 minutes and you are "too embarrassed" to tell me your biggest regret.

As if to punctuate her words, another flash, bigger and brighter than all the others fills the sky. The colors deepen further, and they seem to taint the sunlight filtering through. It's almost beautiful.

The flash and sirens muffle Logan's next words.

LOGAN

(muffled)

I've always wanted to kiss a girl at sunset.

AMY

What was that?

LOGAN

(Louder, over the sirens)

I've always wanted to kiss a girl at sunset.

She smacks his shoulder playfully but doesn't move further away from him.

AMY

That is so cheesy!

LOGAN

See I knew you would make fun of me.

AMY

It's not too late, you know...

Logan looks up sharply at her.

LOGAN

What?

AMY

I mean this isn't exactly a sunset, but it'll do, won't it?

OVER THE SHOULDER

They both look around, taking in the strange colors in the sky reflected on the world around them. Kind of like a stained-glass window in a church, everything is tinted.

ANGLE ON

They both fall silent. Amy is looking at Logan now, he's still looking at the sky. Logan slowly turns to look at her, as if her words finally sink in.

LOGAN

What do you mean?

AMY

Why do you think I wanted our last meeting to be here?

LOGAN

What?

AMY

(chuckles)

You were always slow on the uptake...

Amy leans in closer, initiating. They kiss. It is deep, as though they're releasing all the fear they'd bottled up over the past few weeks into each other. Their arms wrap around each other.

OVER THE SHOULDER

Smoke rises from the city below in several places. The sound of the sirens intensifies. A long line of cars is at a standstill at the city exits.

Suddenly, the sky is filled with flashes of blinding light. One right after the other, the colors now fill the sky.

There's no sign of the sun through the thickness of those colors, though it's light still barely filters through.

In the distance, a large object hurtles towards the earth. It doesn't look like a meteor. It's something strange, but mechanical.

It hurtles closer and closer. Amy and Logan don't notice, they just keep kissing.

There's a loud roaring sound as the object passes a few miles away and a muffled boom as it strikes the earth. A blinding light then

FADE TO WHITE

About the Author

Rebecca Hane is an English major in the Creative Writing concentration. She has a deep love for all things science fiction and fantasy. In her free time she loves to read as well as write fiction, watch her favorite movie and TV shows, and play video games on her very out-of-date consoles. She is currently in the process of writing a fantasy novel or two, with several Pinterest boards for future projects. In the future she hopes to be a published novelist with a side freelance proofreading and editing business.