“A Dreadfully Meaningful Story about the Universe and Other Dreadful Things”

Written by J A Parker

Copyright © All Rights Reserved

FADE IN:

EXT. STAR CONSTELLATION - NIGHT

Hundreds, if not, thousands of stars almost fill the clear, dark sky of the night. Each star is showing a different brightness, almost a different look with each holding a different story.

				NARRATOR (V.O)
		The universe...

This voice is full of wisdom. It’s old, slowly paced and crackling every now and then, sort of like an old record playing.

				NARRATOR (V.O)
The universe is, well... everything... you, me, the screen you look at, your house, belongings, the food you’ve just ate, your grandma’s old teeth, Zeus the annoyingly energetic German Shepard from next door, the country you live in and everything it’s made out of, the planet and everything within the plant and outside the planet... everything.

A shooting star travels across the other stars. It grows bigger in size... getting closer until it becomes visible that it’s a meteorite. It shoots down toward earth.

				NARRATOR (V.O)
But are we humans the only real intelligent life form in the entire universe?

EXT. CAMP SITE - NIGHT

A small tent sits in front of a quietly burning fire near some tall trees. It’s dark. Everything seems peaceful.

The meteorite suddenly strikes the ground behind the tent completely breaking a tree in half. The tree falls and crashes to the ground.

A light switches on inside the tent. The silhouettes of two figures show on the outside. The sound of whispering from within the tent is heard followed by the sound of a zip being undone, which overlaps it.

A head pops out of the tent’s door. It’s male, early twenties, tough yet intelligent looking. He steps out from the tent wearing jeans and an unbuttoned shirt. He’s holding a large flashlight.

Turning around to face where the meteorite ripped through the tree, he shines light staring with mighty puzzlement.

				WOMAN (O.S)
			(anxiously whispered)
		What was it?

The female voice comes from inside the tent. The male walks around the tent and begins to move toward the smoke that has appeared abruptly.

				WOMAN (O.S)
			(anxiously whispered)
		Jeff... Jeffery! What is it?!?

JEFF, continuing toward the downed meteorite, looks to the tent.

				JEFF
			(loud whisper)
		Beth, come look at this!

BETH pops her head out of the tent. Pretty, early twenties, Beth steps out wearing a mini skirt and tank top. Her hair looks rough as she tries to maintain it looking around to Jeff.

Beth sees the smoke and the tree cut in half. She then sees Jeff walking toward them.

				BETH
			(loud whisper)
		Jeff! What are you doing?!?

EXT. METEORITE SITE - NIGHT

Jeff looks into a hole about the size of a standard soccer ball. It’s not very deep. The smoke is dying away as Beth arrives with eyes beaming wide staring, without blinking it seems, into the hole. They both look amazed.

				BETH
		A meteor...?

Jeff shines the light on it. A meteorite, just a little smaller than the hole it made, dark brown, crispy with black edges, sits comfortably in the dirt.

				JEFF
		Wonder where it’s from...

The meteorite suddenly cracks open in half letting out a stinging bright light that lightens the entire area around Jeff and Beth until it’s completely blinding with pure whiteness.

				NARRATOR (V.O)
Estimates of 35,000 to 80,000 tons of unearthly materials plummet to Earth each year. Of course, not every particle of material will hit the same vicinity more than once, meaning there’s the slightest of chances that you’ll come across, or witness, any sort of plummeting at all... not to mention anything with more of a significance.

EXT. CAMP SITE - MORNING

Several people in white biohazard suits investigate the area around the camp site and behind where the meteorite hit.

Soldiers with heavy weaponry surround the area.

Beth and Jeff are nowhere to be seen. Their tent is being examined by some of the people wearing the biohazard suits.

EXT. CROPS - DAY

A large crop field has been victim to a wonderfully beautiful crop circle design.

				NARRATOR (V.O)
Supposedly, on average, 250 crop designs appear each year in the world. Their significance goes beyond most people but some believe they are more than just bored and pathetic losers laughing amongst their sad group of tin foil hats, weirdly scarred bodies and M Night Shyamalan DVD collections.

EXT. HILLTOP - EVENING

The sky is darkening. On a large field overlooking a small town, several hundred people, some wearing alien suits, shiny suits and holding signs saying “Welcome to Earth”, crowd the area dancing to music and looking into the sky.

				NARRATOR (V.O)
On average... too many sightings of unidentified flying objects across the planet are called in to local police and the ministry of defence each year.

Suddenly, an overpowering light covers the entire hilltop forcing some people to scream, leap to the floor and gasp loudly.

After a short moment, the light fades rapidly. The hundred or so people rub their eyes and regain themselves. They immediately look into the centre of the field where Jeff and Beth are seen standing completely naked.

Everyone cheers loudly rushing to them. Jeff and Beth are shaking and paralysed with shock.

As everyone helps cover Jeff and Beth, an army of men dressed in black and white suits rush in from all sides with guns. A large black helicopter cruises over top hovering and shining light onto the hysterical people below.

				NARRATOR (V.O)
Not many people can believe in something they haven’t seen, heard of, or experienced in some way.

EXT. HILLTOP - MORNING

The hilltop is empty of life. Every spot is clean and looks brand new and beautiful.

				NARRATOR (V.O)
Many stories and happenings that exist today are safely kept as secrets with governments around the world and will never be seen again by most.

EXT. STAR CONSTELLATION - NIGHT

Hundreds, if not, thousands of stars almost fill the clear, dark sky of the night. Each star is showing a different brightness, almost a different look with each holding a different story.

				NARRATOR (V.O)
Existence of life outside of our world is existent only in our minds and beliefs. To ask if we humans are the only real intelligent life form in the entire universe is merely a question you can ask yourself.

Earth comes into view. The stars surround planet Earth.

				NARRATOR (V.O)
The point of this story...? Maybe to confuse or question your belief system... to make you realise that the X Files may not be as fiction as you think it is... or maybe it’s that, even now as we carry out our lives within a planet full of hidden answers, the universe out there has more questions than the entire population of Earth thus all will never be answered. And even though you may not realise or care about it, we, and our solar system, are just another bright star in the sky for someone or something else to gaze upon.

A beautifully, almost darkly, multi-coloured meteorite travels toward Earth. It’s large and moves with fast pace.

		NARRATOR (V.O)
Confusion is something I always love to spread around like a wonderfully mystical virus... but without the cough.

FADE OUT:

THE END