by J. R. Rain
JACK
Son-of-a-bitch.
We see what they see: A WIDE PANORAMIC SHOT OF THE GARDEN OF EDEN:
Daytime. It’s always daytime here. A bright yellow light comes from a single source above. The light appears to be a mini sun. It is, in fact, the Biblical Flaming Sword, put into place by God to protect the Tree of Life.
The Garden of Eden is located within the massive, extinct volcano, and as far as the eye can see, rocky cliffs rise up and surround the garden. The walls eventually meet high in the air, forming an inverted peak.
Before them is something beyond their wildest imaginations. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of varieties of plant life—all shapes and sizes and shades of green. The plants and trees seem not-of-this world. Prehistoric, perhaps. Massive creations. Hulking many stories high.
Vines hang everywhere. Tarzan’s wet dream. These vines sway curiously, even though there’s no breeze evident. This is the ultimate, primeval rain forest.
Birds soar through the sky. Magnificent, winged creatures. There are dozens of varieties of animals as well, all moving lazily through the underbrush. A giraffe munches from the treetops below them. Lions lounge lazily nearby. The chatter of monkeys suddenly erupts, and birds take to flight, startled.
Trees are everywhere, lush and green. But one TREE rises above all others. The tree is located in the center of the garden, perhaps five miles from where the group now stands at the entrance. Its thick, leafy canopy undulates gently, even though, again, there’s no wind to speak of. Its branches spreading far and wide, the tree is shaped like a huge mushroom cap. The swaying of its magnificent branches is hypnotic. The tree is awe-inspiring in every way. This is the TREE OF LIFE—the legendary life-source for all life on earth.
ZAHIR
Where do we go now?
Tess points to the Tree of Life.
TESS
We go there.
EXT. FROM WITHIN THE GARDEN OF EDEN
A pale hand carefully moves aside a tree branch. We are seeing from this unknown entity. From their point of view, we see Jack and the gang standing together high above on the rock ledge. The hand slowly replaces the tree branch.
BACK TO THE GARDEN OF EDEN ENTRANCE: Jack leads the way from the tunnel and down a rock path. Before them, an arching stone bridge spans over a rushing river. The river leads from the mountain and into the Garden of Eden. At the far end of the bridge is a stone portal, a sort of gateway into the Garden.
Jack, inhaling deeply, is the first to step onto the bridge. Rising high and curving out over the river, the wide bridge looks ancient and unstable at best. Jack carefully steps up onto it, testing it. It holds. The others follow.
Beneath the bridge, the flowing river is crystal clear, gurgling over flat stones. The bridge appears to have been carved naturally through eons of erosion. As the bridge arches higher, it grows increasingly narrower. Far below, the churning river is now just a narrow silver thread.
ZAHIR
(swallowing)
Could use some hand rails.
They continue over the bridge, and then descend down. And waiting for them at the base of the bridge is a truly awesome sight:
Rows of hulking stone statues stand to either side of the bridge, their upraised stone swords frozen menacingly, guarding the way into the Garden of Eden. The semi-humanoid statues stand well over twenty feet tall, with sleek, sinewy bodies, elongated limbs and featureless faces. Beautiful if not so nightmarish. Despite his bravado, Jack shudders as he approaches the immense stone statues.
ZAHIR
Do we need a password or something?
TESS
They will not harm us, as long as we
don’t pose a threat to the Garden.
ZAHIR
And you know this how?
TESS
Never mind that. C’mon.
The group passes between the row of cherubim, who, of course, remain lifeless and stone-like. The gang steps through the stone portal—or archway—and into the Garden of Eden. Zahir, looking back, can almost feel the stone creatures watching him. He shudders and catches up to the others.
EXT. OUTSIDE THE TEMPLE – AFTERNOON
A soldier steps away from the partially destroyed temple and makes his way to Boris.
SOLDIER
Sir, we’ve found an opening through the rubble.
They’re clearing it as we speak.
BORIS
How much longer?
SOLDIER
Two hours.
BORIS
Do it in one and I double your salary.
SOLDIER
I’ll inform the men.
INT. WITHIN THE GARDEN OF EDEN
The Garden of Eden is truly a rare glimpse of Heaven. Unrivaled beauty, colors seemingly not of this world. Everything is massive, primordial, prehistoric. Jack is amazed, dumfounded, speechless.
The group follows a natural game trail through the garden. Overhead, chattering monkeys swing rapidly from tree to tree, following them. Colorful birds of all shapes and sizes flit through the branches. As the travelers move along the game trail, the hanging vines and branches seem to awaken. Stirring and shifting, they ripple and undulate as if aware of the visitors’ presence. One vine in particular reaches down toward the group—
Zahir suddenly cocks his head to one side, nervous, some sixth sense going off in his head. Speaking to no one in particular, he says:
ZAHIR
Ever feel like you’re being watched?
Tess moves into the lead, walking as quickly as she can while holding her dying son.
TESS
Please, we must hurry.
The game trail before them takes a sudden turn in the wrong direction, clearly leading away from the massive Tree of Life. Tess stops, frustrated, searching for a new path through the heavy brush.
TESS
We have to find a way through—
And to her amazement—to everyone’s amazement—the plants part open like a curtain, revealing a clear path to the Tree of Life in the near distance. Tess doesn’t question or doubt, she plunges into the newly revealed trail, ducking under swaying vines. The others follow suit. And as they continue forward, the thick undergrowth continues to open a path before her, parting magically.
FROM WITHIN THE GARDEN: Keeping pace with them is an unseen entity, gliding rapidly through the underbrush, following...
BACK TO THE GROUP: As the thick jungle continues to open for her, Tess soon steps into a wide clearing. She gasps. We soon see why.
WIDE SHOT of the Tree of Life: This is it. As legend has it, the Tree is the source of all life on earth. The Heart of the Earth. Many stories high, the tree vaguely resembles a massive oak tree, but it clearly possesses similarities to many different trees. Perhaps all trees. Its branches are far-reaching, spreading everywhere like an immense green umbrella. There are no birds in this tree, no animals of any kind. It sits in a sort of resplendent glory, its branches swishing gently.
CLOSE SHOT into the Tree’s extremely dense branches and leaves, which are more than just leaves. The leaves move and shift to form faces. In fact, thousands of faces. Tens of thousands. The faces—all different—come and go. Forming and disappearing. Are we witnessing the birth and death of tens of thousands of people?
Indeed, within the Tree of Life’s sacred branches, perhaps the image within the leaves are the imprints of our souls. It’s a shocking, humbling and breathtaking experience to behold.
Tess takes a tentative step forward. Then another. Jack and Zahir follow close behind. As Jack looks into the tree branches, he sees a familiar face form within the leaves. The face belongs to MORRIE MORTON. He looks down at them, and then the face twists in pain, and vanishes again, replaced by another face—
TIGHT ON THE ETHEREAL FACE OF YOUNG RICKY: As the little boy smiles down upon them, and then slowly begins to fade away, as the leaves become less distinct and morph into other faces...in her arms Ricky’s breathing suddenly becomes choked and
ragged. The boy’s face is turning purple.
TESS
He’s dying, Jack!
In that instant, a sinewy vine reaches down from the heart of the Tree. The vine hovers before Tess, and then curls slowly around her son’s forehead.
TESS
Jack, what’s happening?
But Jack doesn’t have answers. Instead, a voice speaks from behind them. A woman’s voice.
WOMAN (O.S.)
It’s trying to help.
Everyone turns—and sees an older woman standing there, dressed in an ornate white robe. She smiles warmly at them. More vines snake down from the tree, all curling around Tess’s son. The vines tug, but Tess refuses to relinquish her hold on Ricky.
WOMAN
It’s okay, dear heart. Release your child.
Tess, stricken with panic, looks from the woman to the tree, and then up into its waiting branches. She’s at a loss, confused, terrified. Jack reaches over and puts a reassuring hand on her shoulder and smiles at her.
JACK
It’s okay, Tess. Somehow, it’s okay.
Finally, Tess releases her injured boy and watches with horrified fascination as Ricky is hauled up into the Tree of Life’s waiting branches. An opening appears in the leaves, and Ricky disappears within. Within seconds, the boy is gone. Tess gasps. The woman steps over to Tess and puts her arm around her.
WOMAN
He will be okay, dear heart.
Come, we’ve been waiting for you.
FROM WITHIN THE TREE OF LIFE: We watch as young Ricky is hauled deeper and deeper into the depths of the great tree. Protective vines continue wrapping around the boy, coil after coil, like green pythons. When the boy is covered from head to toe, he hangs suspended in the air as if from a cocoon. Now bright light pulses from within the vines, from within the cocoon.
BACK TO THE GARDEN OF EDEN: Led by the strange woman, the group, now minus Ricky, follow a cobblestone path through the forest. Tess looks back repeatedly at the Tree of Life, but the woman urges her on.
WOMAN
He will be fine, dear heart.
TESS
How do you know?
But the woman only smiles gently. Tess tries another angle.
TESS
Who are you?
WOMAN
I am Alana.
TESS
And you live here?
ALANA
Yes. Myself...and others.
Alana leads them forward through the lush garden. Soon the group emerges into another clearing—
WIDE SHOT ON THE CLEARING: A picturesque hamlet, with dozens of small domed dwellings with thatched roofs. Green grass everywhere. Livestock corralled in pens. The small village shines in the yellow light that reaches down from the FIERY SWORD above. People pause and study the strangers. Everyone is dressed similarly: in beautifully ornate robes.
ALANA
This way.
She leads them to a central dwelling, larger than the others. It, too, is round in shape and sits on a grassy plateau.
ALANA
Please, come inside.
JACK
What’s in there?
ALANA
It’s our purification room.
ZAHIR
Of course, the purification room.
INT. MOUNTAIN TEMPLE – DAY
The path has been cleared, and we watch as Hummer after Hummer descends down into the subterranean tunnel...
INT. THE PURIFICATION ROOM – PERPETUAL DAY
Jack, Tess and Zahir are sitting together in a steaming and bubbling sauna. Zahir has his head back, half asleep. Steam fills the room. Tess is submerged within the bubbling froth.
JACK
Feels oily.
TESS
Feels wonderful.
ZAHIR
I second that. Must be something in the water.
JACK
(suddenly grimacing)
My leg!
He grunts, raising his leg. We see there’s an abnormal curvature where the bone never healed correctly, despite the many obvious operations. And before our very eyes something amazing happens: Jack’s leg begins to straighten, the muscles stretching, the bones righting themselves, the skin smoothing over where there had once been many scars. Jack grunts, for the process of rapid healing is apparently slightly painful. Zahir’s eyes just about bug out of his head. And when the process is done, Jack’s leg is perfectly healed. The American laughs and wiggles his toes.
ZAHIR
By Allah, I did not just see that.
(a beat)
But how?
TESS
It’s the healing oils from the Tree of Life.
It’s what my father sought to heal my
dying mother...
EXT. OUTSIDE THE PURIFICATION ROOM
Jack emerges from the hut, stepping down without the use of his cane. He walks perfectly. He grabs hold of Tess and briefly dances with her, twirling her around. She laughs, but her heart is not really into it. Not until she knows what has happened to her son. Jack looks down and studies his well-worn cane.
JACK
I guess I won’t be needing this anymore.
And with all his strength he hurls the walking stick as far as he can. The cane spins end over end, and as it reaches the copse of nearby trees, a tentacle-like vine reaches out and catches the cane in mid-air. Then snaps the cane in half. Zahir’s eyes bug out some more. He swallows and grins nervously.
ZAHIR
Nice catch.
INT. THE MOUNTAIN TEMPLE – AFTERNOON
Boris steps through the opening cleared by his men. The Russian, looking increasingly sickly, is aided through the rubble by the slaver, Abdullah. Once through the opening, Boris stands erect and shakes off the helping hand and moves determinedly toward—
INT. THE TEMPLE GARDEN CHAMBER
The chamber room has now settled back into place, like an elevator. Boris steps through the doorway and into the room and heads directly to the cherub statue. His pale, sickly fingers roam briefly over the statue’s sword arm. A BEAT. The Russian gathers what remains of his strength, and pulls down hard.
The same click. The same rumble. And then the room once again moves slowly down. Boris’s men look apprehensive. Boris leans heavily on the cherub arm, riding it down into the depths...
EXT. WITHIN THE EDEN VILLAGE
A massive bonfire. An air of good cheer. Many of the Edenites are there, feasting and dancing, a celebration in honor of their new guests. All wearing gloriously colorful robes.
ALANA
We have a surprise for you, Tess.
Tess, who had been sitting fitfully with Jack, looks up hopefully.
TESS
Is it my baby?
Alana only smiles and opens her arm and steps away, revealing: An older couple. A man and a woman. The elder man is holding little Ricky, who looks healthy and happy and as good as new.
ELDER MAN
(jovially)
Would this be my grandson?
Tess loses it, sobbing hard, breaking down completely at the site of her healthy son and her missing parents...
EXT. EDEN VILLAGE, AROUND A BONFIRE – ETERNAL DAY
Tess is sitting next to her mother and father, whose names are THOMAS and PAGNIAN HAYNES. Little Ricky sits in front of her. Her mother, Pagnian, is a full-blood Bangladeshi, and the reason for Tess’s exotic appearance. Tess’s adopted father, Thomas, is a stately figure, a scholar. He sports a big barrel chest.
TESS
(to her parents)
I understand why you came to this place.
For healing. But I don’t understand why
you never came home. Why you didn’t return
to me? Didn’t you miss me?
THOMAS
Of course we did, dear. There hasn’t been
a day that’s gone by that we haven’t missed
you terribly—
PAGNIAN
This is paradise, Tessy. This is Heaven
on earth,
dear. There is only beauty and love here.
TESS
Still, couldn’t you have found a way to let me
know that you were okay? I’ve worried for so long.
THOMAS
The Keepers do not allow you to return, dear.
TESS
I don’t understand.
THOMAS
Simply put: once you’re in, you’re in.
PAGNIAN
But now you are here, Tessy, and we
can rejoice!