Walking In Shadows - Screenplay

INT. WOODS. DAY

In the woods by her house CLAIRE is sitting on a log and occasionally checking the time. The sun is shining directly ahead of her. A dog is barking in the distance. Claire can hear muffled laughter – probably from the dog's owners. Rechecking the time Claire walks to a clearing.

INT. ROAD. DAY. SAME TIME

Peter is also checking the time on his phone and walking down the road to a woodland trail. A few cars drive down the road. A little girl chases a piece of paper blown out of her hand by the wind. Peter is oblivious to this. Looking down at his phone, he nears the trail. He also fails to notice a man standing staring at him from the other side of the road. Cut to the man's staring eyes which narrow, before cutting back to Peter turning into the woodland trail.

PETER

Hello? Hello?

He puts his phone to his ear. All he can hear is crackling on the other end.

Cut to Claire in the clearing:

CLAIRE

Hello?

Cut back to Peter:

PETER

Hello! Finally! All I could hear was static...it must be the signal. Are you in the clearing yet?

Back to Claire:

CLAIRE

(Laughing) Yeah, I can see you blundering about on the trail.

Back to Peter:

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

PETER

Oh. (Laughs)

They wave to each other before hanging up. They meet in the middle of the clearing. Cut to their feet walking over the fallen leaves on the ground. Cut to their faces talking and laughing (which is muted to the audience). Laughing and talking animatedly, they walk down the trail together- but Peter abruptly stops sniggering and frowns, gazing behind Claire at the floor. Claire automatically turns her head to look at what Peter is staring at, but she sees nothing but the red and orange leaves on the floor.

PETER

Hey, Claire?

He doesn't look up from the floor when he addresses her.

CLAIRE

Yes?

She raises her eyebrows at him, which he doesn't see. Feeling self-conscious she turns and looks at the floor behind her again. Nothing has changed.

PETER

Um, what's up with your shadow?

CLAIRE

What do you mean?

Her voice breaks on mean. Peter is starting to panic her.

PETER

Well...It's not there.

CLAIRE

What?!

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

Slightly hysterical she turns back to where her shadow should be behind her. It's gone. Looking down behind Peter who is wide-eyed and scared Claire observes Peter's shadow - a long silhouette of his body on the ground, just like Claire's should be behind her.