the redemption

THE REDEMPTION

by

Nadia Tan



1 INT -- CELL -- NIGHT 1

A dark, empty cell. All silent. A lone figure kneels in the middle of

the cell, holding on to a rosary, praying. The cold moonlight that

seeps through the window beats down on him, casting his shadow onto

the concrete.




2 EXT -- FIELD -- DAY 2

In total contrast to the cell, an old man sits beneath a tree of a

wide-open field. He holds onto a baseball with his left hand, twirled

around his right wrist, a rosary.



The sun caresses his left check as the maple leaves start to fall.

All is calm. No one walks past. Not yet. A few moments passed, sounds

of dried leaves being crushed grow louder.




A young boy emerges.



Schoolbag slumped over his shoulders, and bits of perspiration

tickling down his forehead as the little boy ran along busy wondering

aloud in his own thoughts. As he scatters past the old man...


OLD MAN

“Young boy, you look like you had something to say, Is anything the matter? Could I be of any help?”

YOUNG BOY

“No, stranger. I need to rush home to complete my chores. I haven’t got enough time to sit around.”

Lifting up his left hand, he offers the young boy a worn out

baseball, tossing it up and down.

OLD MAN

“Here, take it. Spend some time with me before you rush off to your duties. That’s all I can ever ask for.”

YOUNG BOY

“No, I have better things to do. I would never waste my time to stop for useless play. Goodbye.”




Without much thought, the young boy turned his back towards the old

man and continued on his path, hobbling most of the way till he was

out of sight from the old man’s failing eyes.



Slowly, warm drops of tears trickle down the old man’s cheeks as he

let go of the baseball he once held so tightly to.




Sitting there, eyes closed, he waits.





3 INT – CELL – NIGHT 2


Awakened by the sounds of keys clanging against the iron bars, as he

peers through the slits of overgrown skin that partially covers his

eyes.



Two shadows covering the dim cell lights, walks over and lift

him up.


With much effort, he struggles a little and gets on his feet.







4 EXT – FIELD – DAY 3


Time passes as slowly as he wished it would before while the

weather becomes cooler.



Reopening his eyes to the sounds of another set of rushing

footsteps, this time to a much older man, one that belonged to

a man which looked no older than thirty.



He stretches out his hand as he stops the man from continuing

on his path and hands him the rosary.




OLD MAN
Please, hold on for a while.



The man brushes his hand away and sneers.



YOUNG MAN

I have got better things to accomplish, more money to make, what good is that of a mere rosary. He who believes a GOD exists is but a fool to himself. Give me material not sympathy, if not waste my time no more.




He tears the rosary for his hands and breaks it apart while

sniggering to himself as he hurries on his way.





Once again the OLD MAN bends down and closes his eyes.









5 EXT -- HALLWAY – DAY 4


Prisoner’s cries from each cell can be heard as he makes his

way out of his cell.



The hooded figure is being led through the hallway. He walked

upright at first, but with each step, his feet grow heavier.

He trips. Knees go weak.


The guards escorting him anticipated the prisoner’s legs to

give way as they near the gallows. They put their arms under

his armpits and dragged him the rest of the way.

The prisoner is now slumped. Unable to bear his own weight,

he rests the entire body on the guards.


Everything starts to disappear and sounds of the other

prisoners moaning slowly fades away...



6 EXT -- FIELD -- DAY 5



The slow glow of the sun starts to disappear behind the tree

under which he sits.



Lastly, a middle-aged man walks by and tosses a coin into his

cupped hands.



The old man takes out a picture from his pocket. Managing a

weak smile, he offers it to the man.



OLD MAN
Take this.



The man was too far away from him. The old man tries to reach

out, extends his arms.



OLD MAN
Please, this is important.



Man
?? What?


The man’s eyes keep shifting, he obviously isn’t interested.


He reaches out to grab the picture but it slowly slips from his grip and falls onto the ground.



7 EXT -- Gallows -- DAY 6


He pushes himself forward as the guards drag his body

alongside. The sinking feeling inside becomes lesser and

lesser. His limbs only wrapped with skin and bones made him

look fragile and lost amidst the dark surroundings.



He looks around. Trying to find a familiarity in anything he

sees. However, he finds nothing.



So much he wished for now, is all lost and wasted away.

As he climbs the steps to his final moments, he starts to weep.

Like never before, he felt a surge of utmost regret. His heart

piercing with so much pain. Pain in which he himself cannot

describe anymore.


He lets out his last breath as his last moments flash by him.
He passes on.

His hand releases a photo in which he held from the very start.
It falls to the ground, revealing the same man in which the OLD MAN last met. Himself.

FADE OUT==