Translucent By Daniel Larios

FADE IN EXT. CEMETERY-DAY VALENTINO, a thin teenage boy, flutters his eyes open and awakes on a patch of grass to the sound of a shovel. He sits up straight, stretches his arms, looks to his left and is startled. Next to him is a hole. Inside the hole is his body. Dirt is being shoveled upon his body by an old and weary GRAVEDIGGER. Valentino begins hyperventilating, jumps to his feet and stumbles back. Someone places their hand on Valentinos shoulder. Valentino swerves around startled. Its an OLDER MAN GHOST, translucent and milk-white. Valentino backs up and almost falls into his own grave. The Older Ghost grabs his arm and pulls him forward. OLDER MAN GHOST Calm son, be stillVALENTINO Whats going on? OLDER MAN GHOST Youre gone son. Youre gone. Valentino stares trembling as his body disappears beneath the dirt. VALENTINO How did I- When did IOLDER MAN GHOST You never remember on your own son. None of us do... VALENTINO Us? OLDER WOMAN GHOST(O.C.) Us boy! Valentino turns to see an OLDER WOMAN GHOST standing atop the grave adjacent to his. The Gravedigger keeps shoveling in dirt to his grave.

(CONTINUED)

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OLDER WOMAN GHOST So nice to meet ya boy. No name I seeVALENTINO No name? The Older Woman Ghost points to in front of his grave. OLDER WOMAN GHOST No stone. Youre unclaimed boy. An unknown. VALENTINO Unknown... OLDER MAN GHOST Well, theres been a lot of you since the wars started. Young kids like you dont last long. Valentinos eyes fall upon a bouquet of roses OLDER WOMAN GHOST Oh yeah! Youre either a soldier or youre made one. Happened to my son. A friend of his tried to resist and they shot her. Thats right, girls too. They dont spare anyoneValentino walks around his grave to hers. He reads her stone and tries to touch the bouquet. His hand goes through the petals. He is also translucent and milk-white. OLDER MAN GHOST Seen your son since? OLDER WOMAN GHOST Does anyoneVALENTINO What are the roses for? OLDER WOMAN GHOST Ah! My husband left those for me yesterday. Nice to know the old boy cares. Bet you hell be in here in a month or two. OLDER MAN GHOST Oh, come now-

(CONTINUED)

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OLDER WOMAN GHOST Its true! Man cant live without me... VALENTINO Will I get any roses? OLDER MAN GHOST Depends son. VALENTINO On.. what? OLDER WOMAN GHOST On if anyone loves ya! Like my husband. Cute old man hes become. Love the man to death, I do. Why do you think Im here waiting for him? OLDER MAN GHOST Why, thats beautiful. Reminds me of my wife... VALENTINO Oh... so.. why am I here... Valentino sits on the grass, watching the Gravedigger finish patting down the dirt atop his grave. The Gravedigger then walks away towards the exit of the cemetery. Valentino stares after him. The cemetery grows silent as the Older Man Ghost and the Older Woman Ghost walk away still talking. Valentino looks at the roses atop the Older Woman Ghosts grave, then looks back across the now empty cemetery. Suddenly VALERIA, a little girl around 6 years younger than Valentino, pokes her head out from behind a tree. She shyly looks around, then walks up slowly to Valentinos grave. She sets one wilting rose onto his grave, and places a little stone at the head of the grave. She then stretches a blue-and-white checkered blanket across his grave. The stone reads in a jagged carving: VALLEY. Valentino watches, his breath arrested. The little girl looks around nervously, then darts out toward the exit of the cemetery. VALENTINO Hey! Wait!

(CONTINUED)

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Valentino follows Valeria out of the cemetery, darting after her. She removes some shrubbery from the side of the morgue house and pulls out a bike. Valentino runs to keep up with her as she rides off into the town square. EXT. TOWN SQUARE-DAY Valentino falls behind Valeria as she weaves in between a crowd and through a narrow alleyway. Valentino is blocked off by a mob forming through the square. The MOB LEADER is standing on a crate with a megaphone leading the CROWD in a cheer. CROWD Lets take it back! MOB LEADER Take what back? CROWD City Hall! Valentino sees flashes of Valeria through the gaps in the passing mob. Valentino tries weaving through the crowd, only to realize he can walk through them. MOB LEADER When do we do it?? CROWD Now! Valentino walks through the crowd. He sees the Valeria on the street on the other end. He walks through a building to cut to the other street. MOB LEADER When do we give it back? CROWD Never! Never! Never! EXT. COBBLED STREET-DAY Valentino runs through buildings and people in order to keep up with Valeria. He passes several bombed buildings, blood-stained walls and a small car collecting bodies off the street. (CONTINUED)

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Valeria runs off the end of the cobbled street up a winding gravel path. It leads to an isolated and abandoned church on the side of a hill, half of the roof the torn off from bombings. Valeria rides into the church; Valentino stops outside. He looks out at the town, black smoke rising from the streets, and far off chanting of the crowd moving across the town. INT. CHURCH SANCTUARY-DAY Valentino walks into the church. The sanctuary is mostly in place, with several of the stained glass windows have been shattered. The lights seeps through the hazy morning through the windows like a warm kaleidoscope. Valentino sees the bike at the foot of a stairway to the balcony. He walks towards it. INT. CHURCH BALCONY-DAY The loft has been converted into a makeshift living space. Valeria is packing things into a bag, hidden amongst the rubble and ruin. Valentino reaches the top of the stairs. Valeria is removing a picture that has been taped onto the wall. She removes the first one, and Valentino stops behind her as he sees the picture. Its a picture of BABY VALERIA, being held by her MOTHER, her and FATHER standing behind her, YOUNGER VALENTINO standing next to them. FLASHBACK INT. PORTRAIT STUDIO-DAY The PHOTOGRAPHER snaps the picture with an old camera, and Father goes to talk with him. Younger Valentino tugs on his mothers dress. She smile and hands him Baby Valeria to hold. He beams down at her as she pinches his cheek. He laughs and kissed her on the cheek.

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EXT. STREET-DAY Several little boys play soccer with younger Valentino on the street. Valentinos mother is holding YOUNGER VALERIA swaddled in a blue-and-white checkered blanket in her arms. Suddenly, a mortar crashes into a house in the distance. Cries and sirens ring out. The street erupts in pandemonium. Valentinos father bursts out of the house, gun strapped around his shoulder. He grabs Younger Valentinos arm and commands him and his mother to flee down the street. He hugs him, then kisses the mother and younger Valeria. Younger Valentino and his mother, younger Valeria in her arms, and run down the street with the throngs as gunfire and explosions erupt behind them. Another mortar hits a house nearby. Haze and dust fill the street. Younger Valentino turns, the crowd has become silhouettes in the dust cloud. YOUNGER VALENTINO Momma? Momma? Younger Valentino wanders in the haze as shadows pass him, more explosions erupting near and far. The sound of bullets cut through the air, and Valentino drops to a crawl. YOUNGER VALENTINO Momma? Momma! Younger Valentino crawls, coughing and shielding his eyes from the dust when he sees a small silhouette. Valentino crawls to towards it. Younger Valerias faint cry carries through the haze. YOUNGER VALERIA Valley? YOUNGER VALENTINO Vee? Its younger Valeria, swaddled in a blue-and-white checkered blanket. Valentino picks her up and hold her close to his chest. He sees a bloodied hand from beneath a fallen wall nearby. Recognizing its his mothers, Valentino holds Valeria close as he makes his way down the street.

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EXT. COBBLED STREET-SUNSET Younger Valentino shuffles up the path to the isolated church, as rain begins to shower down. INT. CHURCH SANCTUARY-SUNSET Younger Valentino stumbles into the sanctuary as the rain grows heavier, still clutching Valeria to his chest. The sanctuary is flooded and the water level is rising up the legs of the bolted-down pews. Younger Valentino wades through the waters to the stairs, taking them two at a time, as the sound of thunder crashes outside, mixing with the cries of the burning town. INT. CHURCH BALCONY-SUNSET Younger Valentino collapses to his knees at the top of the stairs, slowly crawling forward, young Valeria in his arms. He makes it to to the light from one of the stained-glass windows, lying beneath it as the storm rages outside. Younger Valeria cries in his arms as he sits down, holding her close as he rocks back and forth. The rain shimmers and patters the glass as Valentino calms her down. YOUNGER VALERIA Im scared Valley... YOUNGER VALENTINO Dont cry Vee. Ive got you. Ill keep you safe... FADE OUT INT. CHURCH BALCONY-DAY Valeria is sleeping on a pew-bed, the blue and checkered blanket covering most of her, her feet exposed. The Balcony is now a make-shift home. Valentinos finger tickles Valerias foot. She kicks awake. VALERIA Valley! Dont startle me like that.

(CONTINUED)

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VALENTINO Sorry Vee. You looked so peaceful. Hey look! Valentino extends his other hand out. He has an orange in it. VALERIA No! Where did you find them? VALENTINO Now wouldnt you like to know? VALERIA You didnt go stealing in the market without me again? VALENTINO No, silly. I only go steal when I have to. Ok, Theres a little orchard by the eastern edge of town. VALERIA Right. VALENTINO So, I helped out picking the trees and in exchange the owner told me to keep a couple. VALERIA Sweet! Good thinking Valley. Valeria sits up and takes an orange. They work off the peels together. VALENTINO Hehe... VALERIA What? Cmon what? VALENTINO I just think its funny you call me Valley. VALERIA Hey now! Sorry your name sounds so similar! What else what I was supposed to call you as a baby? You already called me Vee!

(CONTINUED)

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VALENTINO Haha its just so random. VALERIA I was a baby. I didnt know what I saw saying. VALENTINO Then why do you still call me that now? Haha, got you there. VALERIA Shut it. It stuck. Deal with it. VALENTINO Hehe... The two eat in silence. Valentino suddenly stops and turns his head to the window. VALENTINO Did you hear that? VALERIA Hear what? Valentino tosses himself on top of Valeria as a rocket crashes through a window, blowing half of the roof off the church. The orange rolls away to a stop as smoke and dust fills the room. VALERIA (O.C.) Valley? Valley? VALENTINO (O.C) Go. Theyll be coming. Go. VALERIA (O.C.) Dont leave me Valley. Dont leave me... VALENTINO (O.C) I wont Vee... END OF FLASHBACK

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INT. CHURCH BALCONY-DAY Valentino stands behind Valeria as she cries on her knees, holding the picture to her chest. VALENTINO (V.O.) I wont... VALERIA Oh God... Oh God... I cant do this on my own... VALENTINO You wont. The sun shimmers through the broken window, lighting Valentinos silhouette. His shadow is visible behind Valerias on the ground. VALENTINO Im here Vee.. Valeria stops crying, and turns slowly as the sunshine lights her face. She wipes the tears from her eyes, then slowly smiles. BLACK VALENTINO (V.O.) I always will be... FADE OUT