SHAMAN

Written by

Stephen Roloff

- WRITING SAMPLE -

EXT. FOREST - DAY

An INDIAN ELDER strides purposefully through the bush, his red plaid shirt flashing in shafts of sunlight.

His footfalls make no sound, and birds twitter undisturbed.

Breaking out into a clearing, he draws the attention of a huge BROWN BEAR. A GRIZZLY.

It rears with a DEEP-THROATED GROWL.

The elder doesn’t break stride, walks straight toward the towering beast.

As he approaches, the bear drops to all fours and lowers its head submissively.

The elder passes safely, the wrinkles of his leathery face bunching into a frown.

ELDER(In Ojibway)The end times have come. That is why.

The bear growls plaintively as the elder’s back recedes in the distance.

EXT. EDGE OF NORTHERN TOWN - DAY

The elder waits for a fully loaded LOGGING TRUCK to pass, shaking his head at the distasteful sight.

As he crosses the road, behind him the truck’s RESTRAINING CABLES SNAP, and

A full load of TREES SLIDES OFF THE TRUCK and TUMBLES ACROSS THE HIGHWAY.

The elder is indifferent to the mayhem behind him. He strides down the main street, past the TOWN SIGN.

A BEEPING SOUND chimes.

The elder stops, and pulls up a leg of his jeans to reveal an ANKLE MONITOR. A light on it is FLASHING.

He drops the pant leg in disgust.

SR 1/29/14

EXT. MAIN STREET, OUTSIDE TERRA MINING BUILDING - DAY

An ARMED SECURITY GUARD stomps out of the building and stands with arms crossed, expecting trouble.

The elder pays him no heed and sweeps past, just as he did with the bear.

The guard holds up a cell phone and speaks into it as he watches the elder move on.

INT. POLICE CAR - DAY

A UNIFORMED COP puts down his cell phone and hits the gas.

EXT. MAIN STREET - INTERSECTION - DAY

The elder is moving towards an intersection.

Down the cross-street, the police car races toward the same intersection.

He’s going to arrive in time to intercept the elder.

INT. POLICE CAR - DAY

The cop squeals to a stop as a GUST OF WIND blasts dust past his windshield.

He squints in the SUDDEN GLARE of a hot sun.

COP POV:

No sign of the elder, up and down the street.

EXT. STREET - SIR JOHN A. MACDONALD REHAB CENTER - DAY

The elder moves up the steps of the imposing building.

INT. REHAB - LOBBY

GUS (Genevieve to her parents) MARTEL, a uniformed MOUNTIE SERGEANT in her 30’s, sits in the waiting area.

Gus is a restrained beauty, and she’s ignoring two male PUNK KIDS as they tear apart magazines to assemble a lewd collage on a bulletin board.

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One of the punks saunters over to Gus and stands in front of her, gyrating his hips suggestively. She stands.

Gus steps forward, eye-to-eye with the leering punk. To his surprise, she casually reaches out and takes his hand.

Gus’ fingers pinch hard between the punk’s thumb and forefinger - a Martial arts pressure point. He drops to the floor in pain.

The elder glides past behind the punk, and Gus notices. So does a REHAB ORDERLY who races down the corridor in pursuit.

INTO. REHAB - JAKE’S ROOM

JAKE HUDSON, 27, wearing a hospital dressing gown, sits bolt upright in bed. He looks like the veteran of two wars: a public one, and a private one.

Perched on the edge of the bed is his sister MADDIE, a pretty teenage girl with her hair pulled back in a ponytail.

Maddie’s words tumble out in a torrent.

MADDIEGus’s outside, but she wanted me to be the one to tell you.

(beat)They’re going to let you back on the force! You just need to keep clean and I know that’s not a problem now everything’s sorted and that means you can be my guardian again and--

JAKE(cuts her off)

Maddie. I’m not going back to the force.

MADDIEYou’ve gotta go back! It’s everything you ever wanted, since -- since as long as I remember.

JAKEPeople change. I’ve changed. I want a simpler life now.

MADDIEYou’re kidding, right? I mean, shit, Jake--

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He cuts her off. Big brother time.

JAKEMaddie.

MADDIESorry.

(beat)Change, really? Your school nickname was “granite”! And we both know you could do simple for like five minutes. Remember when--

They both startle as they notice the elder standing beside the bed. His look is kind, compassionate, and fierce.

JAKEWho are you?

ELDER(to Maddie)

I must be alone with him, child.

In spite of herself, Maddie gets up and leaves without protest.

As the door swings shut, the elder leans down and RIPS OPEN the front of Jake’s gown.

JAKEWhat the hell are you--

Jake’s voice trails off and he goes limp as the elder’s palm makes contact with his chest. He watches helpless as...

A BURST OF WIND begins to swirl.

The elder is CHANTING SOFTLY in Ojibway.

Jake’s chest is GLOWING FAINTLY beneath his hand.

A howling miniature TORNADO is forming around them. Clothing, lamps and other debris FLIES AROUND THE ROOM.

Someone’s pounding on the door, Maddie’s screams faint though the din.

The swirling vortex and noise have built to a crescendo. Suddenly there’s a loud SCREECHING SOUND and FLAPPING WINGS beat the air.

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The window SHATTERS, and the wind and noise DROP AWAY instantly. No sign of the elder.

Jake spins to look out the empty window frame, then jumps up and throws open the door to reveal a bewildered Maddie standing between Gus and the orderly.

They take in the trashed room.

Jake has no time to explain, just grabs Gus’s BINOCULARS out of her belt and races off.

EXT. STREET - OUTSIDE REHAB - DAY

A SMALL CROWD has been drawn to the commotion. Jake hurtles out of the front doors and spins around, spotting a LARGE WHITE BIRD ascending high over the building.

He raises the binoculars.

The bird soars in great, sweeping spirals. It glances down, seemingly at Jake, then flaps its wings and... is gone.

Gus is standing beside Jake, also looking up. Jake lowers the binoculars and stands awestruck.

The crowd behind him breaks into applause.

JAKEGus, I really don’t know what I just saw. But I’m gonna find out.

Gus keeps staring into the sky.

GUSGyrfalcon. Native to the Arctic Circle.

(looks down)Well, one thing’s certain. They know what they just saw.

Gus nods back to the crowd and Jake looks around as he notices a draft. He rushes to pull the hospital gown over his bare butt.

GUS (CONT’D)Welcome back to the force.

SR 1/29/14