Sumi wipes her tears away and holds up a pinkie. Franklin
rolls his eyes and interlocks his pinkie with hers to seal
the deal.
CUT TO:
EXT. RURAL HILLSIDE TOWN - DAY
Sumi and Franklin enters the area where Goh has started a
fire. Sumi hands the pot of berries over to Goh and sits
beside him. Goh notices her red eyes and the sting on her
neck. Franklin sits across from them, avoiding Goh's stare.
GOH
What happened out there?
FRANKLIN
Ran into some bees. I got the brute
of it and was so busy running away
that we got separated. By the time
I found Sumi she seemed to have
gotten over her sting.
GOH
You don't look too bad.
FRANKLIN
I've always been mild to their
stings.
Goh nods and starts eating.
GOH
Thank you for the food.
FRANKLIN
We really should have packed some.
GOH
Well we wouldn't have room for the
perfect tea that alleviates bee
venom.
Goh finishes the berries and starts brewing the tea he was
speaking of. Each nervous glance that Franklin throws towards
Sumi does not go unnoticed as Goh studies his behavior.
GOH (CONT'D)
Tell me about your wife.
Franklin flinches, startled by the sudden question.
21.
FRANKLIN
What uhh... what do you want to
know?
The tea finishes brewing and Goh pours out a cup, handing it
to Franklin.
FRANKLIN (CONT'D)
Oh no thanks I didn't get st-
He stops and catches himself, grabs the tea and brings it to
his lips. He glares at Goh while he takes a sip, mad at
himself for letting his guard down.
FRANKLIN (CONT'D)
I didn't swell as much as Sumi did,
you should've given her the first
cup.
Goh chuckles.
GOH
Sumi is a tough child. Her mother
raised her well. You are our guest,
she is patient enough to wait.
Goh pats her head as Sumi and Franklin exchange a nervous
glance.
FRANKLIN
Tell me... about your wife.
Goh's expression changes quickly to a grim one.
GOH
She was just like my daughter.
Quiet. Patient. Loving. It's such a
blessing to have Sumi around. At
times I feel she is a gift left
behind by my wife to remember her
by.
Franklin clenches his fist and begins to rise.
GUARDIAN ANGEL
Shhhhh
The guardian angel appears behind both Goh and Sumi, a finger
pressed against his lips, shaking his head with a look of
danger in his eyes.
Franklin unclenches his fist and hands his empty tea cup to
Goh, asking for another serving.
22.
Goh pours him one with a smile on his face. They hold each
other's gaze, Franklin's with open malice, and Goh's with a
hidden one.
GOH
And your wife?
Franklin sips his tea and takes him time before he answers.
FRANKLIN
She was very... different. Always
wanted to do things another way.
Goh nods.
GOH
It can be difficult... not having a
supportive wife.
FRANKLIN
She wanted me to stay. She never
wanted me to join the war.
Franklin fidgets with his ring.
FRANKLIN (CONT'D)
I never listened. All of her
warnings fell on deaf ears. Her
concerns were mute to me.
Franklin glances at Sumi. Goh leans forward, pouring the last
bit of tea left in the pot into Franklin's cup, filling it up
a third time.
GOH
Was she right?
Franklin shakes his head. He shrugs. He looks away towards
the sky. A tear trickles down his face. He flinches and
reaches up to catch the tear on his cheek.
He lets out a sorrowful chuckle, surprised at his own
reaction to the question.
He looks back at Goh and nods.
FRANKLIN
I think so.
Beat.
The sun is setting. A flare erupts close by, lighting up the
sky. All three of them watch it in horror.
23.
In the distance you can hear marching, and a song being sung
by numerous men.
GOH
What are they doing this far away
from the city?
FRANKLIN
I know that song. It's the SS
battalion. Likely my fleet chasing
deserters. My commander is
notorious for hunting them down.
Franklin starts packing things up frantically.
FRANKLIN (CONT'D)
We need to move. If they find me
here, I'm dead. There should be a
church somewhere deeper into the
mountains where we could find
refuge. It's just over the hill
there-
Franklin's voice trails off. His vision grows dim, his
movements sluggish. He shakes his head, trying to fight it
off, confused by the sudden fatigue that is setting in.
He notices Goh's tea cup is untouched, still full. Sumi never
received one.
He slumps to the ground, growing weaker, and glares up at
Goh.
GOH
My wife and I didn't pay any mind
to the war... until the war came to
us. It took everything away from
us. My legs. My wife. My daughter's
laughter.
Franklin grunts as he tries to crawl away. He throws a
hateful glance at Sumi, she looks away.
Goh stands up from his wheelchair and picks Franklin up over
his shoulder.
GOH (CONT'D)
Don't worry, we're not going to
leave you. We'll find that church,
and talk when you wake up.
24.
Franklin groans as his vision fades rapidly and the voices
start to slur. The last thing he sees is Sumi shoving the
wheelchair into the fire, and Goh grabbing the bag.
FADE TO:
INT. PLANE - DAY
Franklin is inside a fighter jett, piloting it. The sun is
setting on a war torn city with smoke still rising from the
bombs he had just dropped. Two other planes fly beside him on
either side.
We see an establishing shot of all three flying together,
over the view of the demolished city. From a low angle we
hear the cries and screams of the injured. From a high angle
we hear the jets engines.
ARMIN
(crackling of the comms)
Another one down boys, what'd I
tell ya? We're crushing it!
FINN
I'm so glad they didn't put us in
the infantry. The view from up here
of us winning the war is just
priceless.
Finn is looking at the clouds and the beautiful sunset.
Franklin looks to the city below. He hangs his head in guilt
but looks to a photo of his wife on the dash of his pilot
controls.
He briefly touches it, shakes his head, and looks straight
ahead into the beautiful view of the sunset.
Beat.
FRANKLIN
I can't wait for the war to be
over...
FINN
(Whisphering over the
comms)
Franklin! You said that over the
main line! The commander heard it!
Franklin panics and anxiously awaits the response.
25.
COMMANDER
You got someone special back home
waiting for you?
FRANKLIN
Yes... A wife.
COMMANDER
Good. That's why you're here.
That's why we're all here. Good
work out there. Now get back safe
and stop spewing your feelings over
the main comms.
Everyone laughs. Franklin still looks uneasy. He glances down
at the city and back up at his wife's photo.
FINN
I got more than a wife waiting for
me. I hope my bar is okay, I heard
we got bombed there a week ago.
FRANKLIN
Wait what! Who told you that?
ARMIN
We all got a letter. My wife
wouldn't stop nagging about having
to take care of the kids on her
own, like damn woman I got a war to
fight and you're really talkin-
FRANKLIN
Hold up, you guys got a letter?
There's laughter over the comms. Franklin doesn't find this
funny, he's confused and nervous.
FINN
Wow the irony of the the mailman
between us not receiving his
letter.
FRANKLIN
Ha ha. Is everyone okay?
ARMIN
Yeah, It sounds like everyone got
underground before it happened.
Franklin looks at his wife's photo and back at the city
again.