cleansed s2e2 river sequence

THE CLEANSED - SEASON 2

EPISODE 2 – THE RIVER

An original audio drama by

Frederick Greenhalgh

FIRST DRAFT

July 28, 2012

© 2010 Frederick Greenhalgh

(207) 650-6198

P.O. Box 51

Alfred, ME 04002

[email protected]

http://www.finalrune.com

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.finalrune.com/

The Cleansed: Season 2 Episode 2

©2011 - Frederick Greenhalgh - [email protected]

23

we’ll try to throw the buoy. If you get 484

farther than that - you ride the river. 485

There’s a still part at the end and we can 486

retrieve you there. If it comes down to 487

that - you cannot fear. You must float on 488

your back, keep your legs ahead of you and 489

ride the river. If you fight it, it will 490

destroy you. Do we understand? 491

SOME ‘YESSES’ GO THROUGH THE PARTY 492

JOHN: We are in this thing together. Do we 493

understand? 494

ALL: Yes, John! 495

JOHN: Good. Let’s ride. 496

SCENE 8 – RIDING THE RIVER 497

SFX: SPLASH! 498

MARC: You got it, mom? 499

CAITLIN: Hop in, Marc. 500

MARC AND CAITLIN PADDLE OFF 501

SAM CRUNCHES DOWN THE GRASS. 502

SAM: We’re a well oiled machine today, Luke, you 503

understand? 504

LUKE: Yeah. 505



24

SAM: When I yell paddle, you paddle. When I say 506

for the love of God stop, you’ve already 507

stopped. 508

LUKE: Yeah. 509

SAM: Luke. 510

LUKE: Yeah? 511

SAM: I love you Luke. 512

LUKE: Sam? 513

SAM: Listen to me and we’ll be alright. You’re a 514

strong boy, Luke – 515

LUKE: Sam – 516

SAM: Man. Sorry. Luke, you’re a strong man. 517

Now – paddle right. 518

LUKE TAKES SOME HESITANT STROKES, THEN THEY GO.... 519

JOHN AND MARIA PUT IN 520

JOHN: You alright? 521

MARIA: Me? ... Yeah. 522

JOHN: You’re still a little shaken. 523

MARIA: No... 524

JOHN: I may not be intuitive, but you’re an open 525

book, Maria. 526



25

MARIA: It’s just - 527

JOHN: Yesterday. 528

MARIA: Well, yeah. 529

JOHN: I’ll keep you out of the water. Just listen 530

to me, and paddle like hell. 531

MARIA: Okay... 532

JOHN: If you fear it, it will destroy you. Ride 533

it like a wild horse. 534

MARIA: I’ve never ridden a wild horse. 535

JOHN: Well, you’re about to find out what it’s 536

like. Come on! 537

SFX: SPLASH, SPLASH - THEY PADDLE OUT INTO THE 538

RIVER. 539

ACTION BEAT BACKS OFF, AND UNDER 540

SCENE 0-6 VOICEOVER 541

MARIA: You remember, then, the raging waters -- 542

LUKE: It had been dry all summer, and now it had 543

turned, it was mighty and raging -- 544

MARIA: Like a mythic beast, there to challenge us, 545

to test us -- 546

LUKE: To destroy us for daring to think that we 547

could cross it safely. 548



26

MARIA: We were crazy, Luke. We were so crazy. 549

SCENE 8 - DESCENDING THE RIVER 550

MUSIC: MUSIC UNDERSCORES THIS WHOLE SCENE, ECHOES 551

OF THE MAIN SCORE LOW FOR FIRST BIT THEN 552

BUILDING... 553

JOHN: It means life or death to listen to me, you 554

got it, Maria? 555

MARIA: I got it! 556

JOHN: Alright, so when I shout RIGHT - 557

SFX: MARIA SWITCHES POSITION QUICKLY 558

MARIA: Paddling! 559

JOHN: LEFT! 560

SFX: MARIA YANKS HER PADDLE, SWITCHES POSITION 561

MARIA: Paddling! 562

JOHN: STOP! 563

SFX: MARIA YANKS HER PADDLE 564

MARIA SHOUTS A WORD OF FRUSTRATION 565

JOHN: Just like that! And if I shout it quickly - 566

it means do more, you got it? 567

MARIA: I got it! 568

JOHN: Here we go! 569



27

SFX: ROAR OF RIVER PICKS UP 570

CAITLIN: (OFF) We’re coming to the first rapid! 571

SFX: KA-PLOOSH! 572

LUKE: (ASIDE) Look at them - they go like it’s no 573

trouble ... 574

SAM: What?! 575

LUKE: (SPEAKING UP) I said - they make it look 576

easy! 577

SAM: Don’t worry about what others are doing, 578

Luke, focus on your own paddling. 579

LUKE: I can paddle. 580

SAM: Good. PADDLE LEFT! LEFT! LEFT! 581

SFX: ROARING RAPID COMES UP, SPLASHES, ERUPTS 582

OVER CANOE 583

LUKE: Holy! 584

SAM: Good work, Luke, Good work, now pay 585

attention! 586

MUSIC: CRANKS UP A NOTCH, AS RIVER GETS MORE 587

SERIOUS 588

MARIA: Joohnhnnnnnn - 589

JOHN: RIGHT! RIGHT! RIGHT! RIGHT! RIGHT! 590



28

SFX: KER-PLASH!!! 591

MARIA: (SHRIEKS) 592

JOHN: Keep paddling! PADDLE PADDLE PADDLE! 593

MARIA: John it’s - it’s fast John! 594

JOHN: Ride it, Maria! Ride it! 595

SFX: KERPLASH! 596

JOHN: That’s three! Maria, Not so deep! 597

SFX: KERPLASH! 598

MARIA: (SHRIEK) 599

JOHN: HOLD ON TO THAT DAMN PADDLE! 600

MARIA: There’s water, John - in the canoe! 601

JOHN: Ride it out! We’re coming up to the big 602

one! 603

MARIA: It’s - there’s a lot! 604

JOHN: We can’t deal with it, just paddle! 605

MARIA: John-- 606

JOHN: PADDLE, dammit! 607

SFX: THE APPROACHING ROAR OF A MAJOR RAPID 608

MARIA: John! 609

JOHN: Ride it, Maria, Ride! 610



29

SFX: SONIC TIME FREEZE 611

SCENE 0-7 VOICEOVER 612

MARIA: And in that moment... It all came crashing 613

down 614

SCENE 9 – THE RIVER, CONT. 615

SFX: TIME RELEASES 616

SFX: CRASH! THE WAVES SPIT THE CANOE UP AND OPEN 617

A ROCK, SPLINTERING IT 618

MARIA: (HOWLING IN TERROR) 619

SFX: MARIA PLUNGED UNDERWATER - A BRIEF 620

UNDERWATER WASHY SFX TONE THEN BURSTS AGAIN 621

TO THE SURFACE, GASPING FOR AIR 622

JOHN: MARIA! Behind you! 623

MARIA: JOHN! 624

JOHN: Grab the canoe! Grab the canoe! 625

MARIA STRUGGLES FINDS THE CANOE AND GRABS FOR PURCHASE, A BRIEF 626

BURST UNDERWATER AND NOW SHE’S UNDERNEATH THE CANOE, WITH THE THIN 627

BRIGHT REVERBERANCE 628

MARIA: (GASPS) John -- 629

JOHN: Keep your legs tucked up, don’t let the 630

river grab you. We’ll make for that eddy. 631

MARIA: John, I’m sorry - 632

JOHN: Just ride, Maria! 633



30

MARIA: I’m trying -- 634

JOHN: Rock! 635

SFX: KI-KRAK! THE CANOE FLIES OVER A RAPID AND 636

WITH A WHET THUK! PROPHET GOES DOWN 637

MARIA: Prophet! (BEAT) Prophet! PROPHET! 638

MUSIC: MUSIC TAKES ON AN OMINOUS TONE 639

MARIA: PROPHET!!! 640

SFX: ELSEWHERE ON THE RIVER - STILL ON A CANOE 641

SAM: You still with me? 642

LUKE: Yeah! 643

SAM: Prophet and Maria went down. We’re gonna 644

paddle to them. You got it? 645

LUKE: I got it! 646

SAM: O.K. LEFT! LEFT! LEFT! LEFT! LEFT! Maria! 647

MARIA! 648

MARIA: MOM! 649

SAM: Push left! 650

MARIA: Prophet, he’s -- 651

SAM: GRAB MY GODDAMN PADDLE! 652

MARIA: I’m trying --- 653

SAM: LUKE! Keep us straight! 654



31

LUKE: I’m trying! 655

SAM: MARIA- Kick! 656

MARIA: Prophet -- 657

SAM: KICK! 658

WITH EFFORT, MARIA GRABS ONTO THE PADDLE, SAM YANKS HER KICKING AND 659

SCREAMING OUT OF THE WATER AND SLOPPILY ONTO THEIR CANOE. 660

MARIA: (GASPS) 661

SAM: Brace yourself - there’s another one! 662

SFX: WITH A SPARKLY ROAR, THEY RUSH ACROSS 663

ANOTHER CRASHING RAPID, THAT ABSORBS ALL 664

SOUND... IT SLOWLY DIMINISHES, TO A LOWER 665

RUMBLE 666

CAITLIN: (SHOUTED) Hey! What happened! 667

SAM: Prophet’s canoe flipped! 668

CAITLIN: What? 669

SAM: Prophet flipped! 670

MARC: Mom - he’s there! 671

CAITLIN: We’ll get him! 672

SAM: OK! Then what? 673

CAITLIN: Follow us to shore! 674

SFX: RIVER SOUND LOWERS TO RUMBLE. 675

cleansed s2e2 river sequence

Entertainment & Humor