SIGNS (Continue)

PHARMACIST
It was asthma medicine right
Father?

GRAHAM
For Morgan Hess. And it's not
Father anymore.

The Pharmacist looks back at Graham and then reaches up and
TURNS OFF THE RADIO. She quietly finds the prescription on
the shelf and moves to the counter across from Graham.

She doesn't ring it up. She just stands there fiddling with
the bag holding Morgan's medicine. Beat.

PHARMACIST
Can I ask you a favor Father?

Graham stares at the girl. Beat. He nods "yes."

PHARMACIST
Can I take confession with you?

Beat. Graham leans forward on the counter and takes the
girl's hands in his. He talks very slowly.

GRAHAM
Tracey, I -- am -- not -- a --
reverend -- anymore. I haven't
been for six months. You know
this.

Beat. When Tracey speaks her VOICE IS A BIT SHAKY.

TRACEY
All this stuff on TV...
(beat)
Joe Gills was in here talking about
the end of the world... I'm just a
little scared.
(beat)
Please. I need to take confession
with you.

Graham looks at the young girl's teary eyes. He exhales
slowly.

CUT TO:

INT. ARMY RECRUITING OFFICE - AFTERNOON

Merrill stares up at a poster with a muscular guy in an Army
uniform standing at attention on a beach.

We are in a narrow ARMY RECRUITING CENTER. Inside the small
storefront space is a desk. A gentleman sporting a CREWCUT
sits behind it.

A young man, Merrill's age, sits at a side card table filling
out some forms.

CREWCUT GUY
I got it figured.

Merrill realizes the crewcut guy is talking to him.

MERRILL
You do?

CREWCUT GUY
I've had two separate folks tell me
they think there are strangers
around these parts the last couple
of nights. Can't tell what they
look like, cause they're staying in
the shadows -- covert like. No
one's got hurt mind you... And
that's the give away.

MERRILL
(doesn't see)
I see.

CREWCUT GUY
It's called probing. It's a
military procedure. You send a
reconnaissance group, very small,
to check out things. Not to
engage, but to evaluate the
situation. Evaluate the level of
danger. Make sure things are all
clear...

MERRILL
Clear for what?

The crewcut guy savors the beat of silence.

CREWCUT GUY
... For the rest of them.

It takes a second, but Merrill smiles. The crewcut guy
smiles back. Merrill points at a poster.

MERRILL
You have a pamphlet or something I
can read?

The crewcut guy reaches to a stack of brochures. Picks the
top brochure and hands it to Merrill.

The crewcut guy begins to stare at Merrill closely.

CREWCUT GUY
Hey you didn't used to play
baseball did you?

Merrill looks up from the brochure. Beat.

CREWCUT GUY
Shit. I know you. You're Merrill
Hess. I was there that day you hit
that five hundred and eighty seven
footer over the left field wall and
set the record. That thing had a
motor on it... It's still the
record right?

Merrill not, "yes."

MERRILL
(soft)
I got the bat at home... On the
wall.

CREWCUT GUY
You got two minor league home run
records don't you?

Beat.

MERRILL
Five. The five longest.

CREWCUT GUY
Boy, why aren't you in the pros
making stacks of cash and getting
handfuls of T and A?

YOUNG MAN (O.S.)
Cause he also has the minor league
strike out record.

Merrill turns to the young man, about his age, who sits at
the folding table.

MERRILL
Hello Lionel.

LIONEL smirks.

LIONEL
He'd just swing as hard as he could
every time. It didn't matter what
the coach said, didn't matter who
was on base, he'd whip that bat
through the air as hard as he
could... Looked like a lumber jack
chopping down a tree.
(beat)
Merrill here, struck out more times
than any two players.

Beat.

CREWCUT GUY
You really hold the strike out
record?

Beat. Merrill tucks the pamphlet in his jacket. Looks like
he's not going to say anything. When he does, the words are
soft and worn; they've been said a hundred times.

MERRILL
Felt wrong not to swing.

Beat. The crewcut guy shakes his head. Merrill turns and
starts walking.

As he passes Lionel, Merrill makes a small, quick move in
Lionel's direction, like he might hit him. Lionel flinches
and covers his face.

Merrill walks out the door of the army recruiting office.

CUT TO:

INT. PHARMACY - AFTERNOON

PHARMACIST
I cursed thirty-seven times last
week... I said the f-word a couple
times, but mostly "shits" and
"bastards."
(beat)
Is "Douche bag" a curse?

Graham glances at the girl as she sits sideways to him at the
counter.

GRAHAM
I suppose it's in its usage.

PHARMACIST
How about "John you're a douche bag
for kissing Barbara?"

GRAHAM
That's a curse.

PHARMACIST
Then it's not thirty-seven. It's
seventy-one.

Graham's eyes widen.

PHARMACIST
I stole a bottle of Ruby red lip
stick from K-mart... I punched my
brother in the back three times...

Graham looks around the empty store for help.

CUT TO:

INT. NATHAN'S BOOKSTORE - AFTERNOON

Bo sits at a tiny reading table and drinks a glass of water.
There is another glass, half-full, on her table. Mrs. Nathan
watches as the little girl takes careful sips.

Beat. Bo looks up with a grimace.

BO
It's contaminated.

MRS. NATHAN YELLS TO MR. NATHAN AT THE FRONT OF THE STORE.

MRS. NATHAN
Carl, there's something wrong with
our water!

Morgan doesn't look up from the extraterrestrial book.

MORGAN
Your water is fine. Bo has a thing
about her drinking water. She's
had it her whole life. Like a tick
people have. Except it's not a
tick.

MRS. NATHAN
(fascinated)
Is that right?

Bo shrugs. She places the glass she sipped on the table with
the other glass.

Mrs. Nathan stares at the four-year old.

MR. NATHAN (O.S.)
Thirteen!

Everyone turns to the front of the store where Mr. Nathan
points to the TV screen. A Coke Cola commercial is on.

Beat. Mrs. Nathan turns back to find Morgan holding out the
extraterrestrial book to her.

MORGAN
I'll take it.

CUT TO:

EXT. STATION WAGON - AFTERNOON

Merrill, Morgan and Bo are waiting in the parked car. Beat.

The driver's side opens and Graham sits in.

MERRILL
Pharmacy crowded?

GRAHAM
I don't want any one of you
spending time with Tracey Abernathy
alone. Is that understood?

Beat. Everyone nods, "yes."

Graham puts the key in the ignition and turns the car on.
Merrill watches as Graham's hand goes to put the car in
reverse -- and then stops.

Graham is staring out the windshield. Merrill follows his
stare to a thin, thirty-year old man in a LEATHER JACKET
coming out of a store. Merrill's face changes expression
too. They both stare as the man passes in front of the car.

MORGAN
(soft)
Is that him?

MERRILL
(soft)
Yeah.

Everyone in the car watches the man in the leather jacket as
he steps off the sidewalk towards the truck. It's here that
he notices the stares. He glances up to see the faces
watching him from the station wagon.

The leather jacketed man keeps moving to his truck. He gets
in, turns it on, and without looking over to the station
wagon, backs out of the parking lot.

Beat. The Hess family sits quietly.

BO
Who is he?

Nobody says anything for the longest time.

MORGAN
He's the man who killed mom.

Graham puts the station wagon in reverse and backs out into
the street.

CUT TO:

EXT. HESS HOME - AFTERNOON

THE SKY IS GOLDEN RED. The crops sway hypnotically in a
gentle breeze.

The Hess station wagon pulls into their driveway. It comes
to a stop in front of the house. The engine goes off. No
one gets out.

CUT TO:

INT. STATION WAGON - AFTERNOON

All four sit quietly not getting out.

A MUFFLED SPIKE OF NOISE IS HEARD FROM THE BACK SEAT.

Graham and Merrill turn and see Morgan pull the baby monitor
out of his jacket. He holds it in his lap.

Beat.

MORGAN
What if Bo's baby monitor is
picking up signals from the
extraterrestrials?

Beat.

MERRILL
All this crop stuff. They did it
twenty-five years ago. It was a
joke.

THE MONITOR SPIKES WITH A SUDDEN CRACKLE. MORGAN PULLS IT
AWAY FROM HIS EAR.

GRAHAM
It's just static Morgan. Turn it
up and see.

Morgan turns a knob on the side.

THE VOLUME SUDDENLY JUMPS UP ON THE MONITOR. WE HEAR BEEPS
IN THE STATIC. THE RED LIGHTS ON THE FRONT OF THE BABY
MONITOR LIGHT UP WITH EACH BEEP.

MORGAN
It's a code.

GRAHAM
Let me see that please.

Morgan hands Graham the monitor in the front seat. THE BEEPS
COME AND GO AS THEY GET COVERED BY THE STATIC.

MERRILL
It's noise.

GRAHAM
It's broken Morgan. It'll just
keep doing this.
(beat)
Let's get out of the car okay?

MORGAN
We might lose the signal.

GRAHAM
We can't just sit in the car in our
own driveway like this.

MERRILL
We'll look like mental patients.

Beat. Nobody gets out of the station wagon.

GRAHAM
I'm getting out now.

MORGAN
Don't do it.

Graham pulls the handle. His door opens. He waits before
getting out. The other three station wagon doors open right
after.

OUTSIDE CAR

Graham stands and closes his driver side door.

THE MONITOR CHANGES SOUNDS. THE BEEPING DISAPPEARS. THE
STATIC BECOMES LOUDER, BECOMING A MOVING, SWIRLING SOUND
TEXTURE.

MORGAN
Nobody move!

Everyone becomes frozen, standing next to the station wagon.
Three of the doors are open.

IN THE TEXTURE OF SOUND, JUST FOR A MOMENT, WE HEAR SOMETHING
THAT SOUNDS LIKE...

MORGAN
Voices. Did you hear that?

Everyone stares at the baby monitor in Graham's hand.

MORGAN
Not English though. You heard the
voices right Uncle Merrill?

BO
I heard them Morgan.

Graham doesn't move his arm. He keeps it out in the air
where he had it as he closed his door. Graham looks to
Merrill over the roof of the station wagon.

GRAHAM
It's probably picking up another
baby monitor.

MERRILL
That's right.

THE SWIRLING TEXTURE SOUND FLOATS THROUGH THE AIR ABOVE THE
STATION WAGON.

MERRILL
Let me see it.

Beat. Graham moves. He hands the monitor over the hood.
Merrill reaches for it.

THE SWIRLING, MOVING TEXTURE BECOMES LOUD AND FILLED WITH
UNINTELLIGIBLE NOISES.

MORGAN
Stop!

Graham and Merrill freeze -- both touching the monitor over
the roof of the station wagon.

WE HEAR SOMETHING THAT SOUNDS LIKE A VOICE EMERGE AND THEN
QUICKLY FADE AWAY.

MORGAN
It doesn't sound like words.

Merrill concentrates on THE SWIRLING MOVING TEXTURE COMING
FROM THE BABY MONITOR.

Graham looks around at his rapt family.

GRAHAM
See this is why we're not watching
those news reports. People get
obsessed.
(beat)
I'm letting go now.

BO
No dad!

MORGAN
Don't do it!

MERRILL
You'll lose the signal!

Graham looks at Merrill, who's now one of them. Beat.

Morgan is the first one to move.

MORGAN
Don't let go.

He moves from the back passenger door to the back bumper
where he begins to climb onto the station wagon.

GRAHAM
Morgan?

MORGAN
It gets clearer, the higher you
hold it.

Morgan crawls on the roof and takes the monitor ever-so
gently out of Graham and Merrill's outstretched hands.

GRAHAM
Morgan, be careful.

MERRILL
I got him.

Merrill climbs up over the side and joins Morgan on the roof.
Merrill keeps a hand on his nephew. Morgan raises the
monitor above his head.

THE RED LIGHTS ON THE BABY MONITOR ALL TURN ON.

THE SWIRLING TEXTURE COMING FROM THE MONITOR BECOMES
SOMETHING MORE MECHANICAL, LIKE THE HUM OF LARGE EQUIPMENT IN
THE DISTANCE.

THE VOICE LIKE SOUNDS ARE UNDER A CRACKLE BUT ARE CLEARER AND
LOUDER.

Bo runs to the front bumper and climbs onto the hood.

GRAHAM
Hold on.

Graham cuts her off by taking a seat on the hood. He takes
hold of Bo. All four are on the car now.

Morgan stands up on the roof of the station wagon. Merrill
holds him by the waist.

Bo tries to get up onto the roof by climbing over Graham and
the windshield. Graham boosts her up over his head with both
hands.

GRAHAM
Merrill you got her.

Merrill reaches out his free hand. Bo reaches out to him.
THE SOUND FROM THE MONITOR SUDDENLY CHANGES.

MORGAN
Stop!

Everyone STOPS exactly where they are. Graham holds Bo over
his head. Bo reaches out to Merrill. Merrill sits on the
roof with one arm out. Morgan stands with the baby monitor
raised high in the air. The Hess family remains very still
on the hood of their station wagon as they listen.

THE CRACKLING IS GONE. THE VOICE-LIKE SOUNDS ARE CLEAR AND
UPFRONT. THERE ARE TWO DISTINCT TONES IN THE MIX.

MORGAN
(soft)
There's two of them talking.

THE VOICE-LIKE SOUNDS ARE NOT WORDS BUT MORE LIKE GRUNTS AND
GURGLING LIKE SOMEONE DROWNING. THE SOUNDS ARE BEING CREATED
BY INHALES, NOT EXHALES. A SEQUENCE OF THESE SOUNDS IN ONE
TONE IS FOLLOWED BY SILENCE AND THEN THE SECOND TONE BEGINS
ANOTHER SEQUENCE LIKE A CONVERSATION.

Graham struggles to hold Bo up. Bo struggles to keep her
arms out. Merrill struggles not to turn his face to the
incredible SOUNDS ABOVE HIS HEAD.

THE TONES ESCALATE IN VOLUME.

Morgan's eyes widen as THE SEQUENCE OF SOUNDS BECOMES SHORTER
AND FASTER. THE TONES BECOME HARDER, ANGRIER. THE SILENCES
ALMOST GONE.

THE VOICE-LIKE TONES REACH A LOUD FEVERISH PACE, ALMOST
VIOLENT AND THEN WE HEAR A CLICK AND THEY'RE GONE.

Beat. Everyone looks up at the baby monitor. The red lights
are off. ONLY THE BLAND HUM OF NORMAL STATIC COMES FROM IT'S
SPEAKER.

Beat.

MORGAN
(soft)
They hung up.

Graham brings Bo down into his lap. Morgan takes a seat next
to Merrill on the roof. The Hess family sits like mental
patients on the top of their station wagon.

CUT TO:

EXT. BACKYARD - EVENING

WE ARE AT THE EDGE OF THE CROPS LOOKING BACK AT THE HOUSE.
The LIGHTS are on in the kitchen. We see Graham, Merrill and
the children doing dishes after dinner.

The DOG IS BARKING FURIOUSLY.

OUR VIEW TURNS TO LOOK AT THE BARN THROUGH THE CROPS.
Isabelle, the remaining German Shepherd is tied to a post
outside the barn. The dog whips back and forth frantically.
She keeps looking in our direction.

WE HEAR A SCREEN DOOR OPEN. WE TURN TO LOOK BACK AT THE
HOUSE. Graham steps out the back screen door with a bowl of
dog food and a bowl of water.

We watch him as he walks towards the frantic dog. When he
gets close, Graham slows. He approaches the dog carefully.
He places the two bowls close but not too close. The dog has
no interest in them. She keeps barking and glaring in our
direction.

Graham watches her for a few moments, and THEN TURNS AND
LOOKS DIRECTLY AT US FROM ACROSS THE YARD.

WE PULL BACK INTO THE DARKNESS OF THE CROPS.

CUT TO:

EXT. BARN - EVENING

Graham stands frozen looking across his yard. Isabelle, the
dog turns in desperate circles behind him. Graham's eyes
stay focused on the same point in the darkness. He talks to
no one.

GRAHAM
You know something? Even
entertaining the possibility of
this for a minute has been
exciting.

Beat. Graham starts to move.

GRAHAM
I can see how people can get
carried away with this type of
thing.

Graham reaches the barbecue area. There's a flashlight on
the picnic table. Graham TURNS THE FLASHLIGHT ON. A NARROW
BEAM FALLS ON THE GRASS FIVE FEET AHEAD OF HIM.

Graham starts toward the crops.

GRAHAM
It's a kind of faith. It's an
intoxicating thing to believe in
something you can't see.

THE BEAM OF LIGHT FALLS ON THE WALL OF CORN CROPS LINING THE
BACKYARD. Graham steps right up to them. He hesitates and
then steps into the field of

CORN CROPS.

We can't see two feet in any direction. Six foot stalks of
corn line Graham on all sides. THE FLASHLIGHT THROWS A
WAVERING BEAM ON THE CROPS AHEAD OF HIM.

GRAHAM
You were always good at that...

THE BEAM OF HIS FLASHLIGHT FINDS A NARROW PATH. Graham
starts following it. His shoulders brush crops on either
side.

GRAHAM
Believing in things you couldn't
see.
(beat)
You would have been the first
person on that station wagon
wouldn't you? You and Morgan would
have been wrestling for that baby
monitor.

SOMETHING MOVES UP AHEAD.

Graham stops. HE SHINES HIS LIGHT DOWN THE PATH. Nothing
but crops disappearing into darkness.

GRAHAM
It'll be secretly kind of sad for
everybody, when this turns out to
be -- all just make believe.

THERE'S MOVEMENT RIGHT NEXT TO HIM. Graham spins and aims
the FLASHLIGHT AT THE CROPS TO HIS RIGHT. THE LIGHT ONLY
PENETRATES A FEW FEET INTO THE CROPS.

GRAHAM
(yelling)
You're wasting your time here! I'm
not going to report this or
anything you do to me crops, to the
news or TV or anybody! You're not
going to get famous!

Beat. There is no response. GRAHAM CAN HEAR HIS OWN
BREATHING... IT SOUNDS HEAVY, ECHOISH... LIKE THERE'S TWO OF
HIM.

Beat. Graham holds his breath. THE SOUND OF SOMEONE ELSE
BREATHING CONTINUES BEHIND HIM.

Graham turns and drops the FLASHLIGHT at the same time. THE
BEAM OF LIGHT TURNS OFF WHEN THE FLASHLIGHT HITS THE GROUND.

GRAHAM IS IN DARKNESS NOW. HE LOOKS IN THE DIRECTION OF THE
BREATHING. BUT CAN'T SEE ANYTHING. HIS OWN BREATHING IS
FAST AND LOUD NOW.

Graham kneels down and gropes in the darkness. His hands
search over the ground in all directions. They finally touch
the flashlight. Graham quickly fumbles with it to find the
"on" button. He does.

A BEAM OF LIGHT SHOOTS ACROSS THE GROUND. SOMETHING POWDERY
WHITE STANDS FIVE FEET AWAY.

It instantly moves into the darkness. Graham tries to get
up. He stumbles backwards into the crops. He's tangled in
crops as he struggles to rise. He gets up and starts
running.

Leaves and stalks slap him from all directions. He panics.
He doesn't know where he is. THERE IS SOMETHING COMING
BEHIND HIM.

Graham makes a sudden right turn. He puts his hands in front
of him to protect his face and eyes. He's running as fast as
he can. HE HEARS STALKS OF CORN BREAKING BEHIND HIM.

Another sudden turn, this time left. Graham emerges into his

BACKYARD.

Graham keeps running across the yard. ISABELLE BARKS
FRANTICALLY.

When Graham reaches the porch stairs, he stops and turns.

There is no one behind him. The wall of crops fifty feet
away sway in the gentle night breeze.

Graham gains control of his breathing. He turns and walks to
the screen door, slowing his breathing down with each step.

CUT TO:

INT. KITCHEN - EVENING

Graham steps into the kitchen. His hair is messed. His
shirt has a few leaves from corn stalks stuck to it. He
locks the back door.

The children don't notice his presence. They're splashing
each other at the sink as they clean the dinner dishes.

Graham looks through the kitchen doorway to the family room.
He sees Merrill there.

Merrill's hands are in his pockets as he stares at the WOODEN
BASEBALL BAT mounted above the fireplace. Merrill doesn't
notice him either.

Graham takes two steps to the kitchen table and slowly takes
a seat. His breathing is a slow controlled pant. He runs
one shaky hand through his hair as he gathers himself and
thinks. His kind eyes stare down at the ground as he slows
his mind. Beat.

Merrill is the first to notice him. He moves from where the
baseball bat is hung, into the kitchen. As he passes the
children at the sink, he turns off the faucet.

The children stop playing and look up to Merrill. They
follow his stare to the kitchen table.

Beat. Graham looks up at them.

GRAHAM
(soft)
Okay.
(beat)
Let's turn on the TV.

CUT TO:

INT. FAMILY ROOM - EVENING

THE TV GOES ON WITH A CLICK. THE SCREEN BLOWS WHITE AND THEN
IMMEDIATELY DARKNESS. OUTLINES AND SHAPES EMERGE.

THE SOUND POPS ON.

TV REPORTER
-- first appeared fifty two minutes
ago.

THE SCREEN FILLS WITH CRISP BLACKS. WE ARE WATCHING VIDEO OF
A NIGHT SKY OVER A DENSE CITY. THE THOUSAND LIGHTS OF THE
CITY FILL THE BOTTOM OF THE SHAKING IMAGE.

ANOTHER SET OF LIGHTS DOT THE SKY ABOVE THE CITY. THEY ARE
ARRANGED IN TWO "V'S" SIDE BY SIDE.

Bo puts her finger to the screen and counts the hovering
lights.

BO
Fourteen.

Morgan, Merrill and Graham stand silently before the
television set.

TV ANCHOR
Mexico City officials as well as
U.S. officials have confirmed that
these are not air crafts from
either government's airforce. The
first sighting was made by an Air
Mexico 747 en route from Mazatlan
to New York as the unidentified
crafts entered Mexico City air
space. They were not detected by
radar by either country.

Beat.

MERRILL
The crazies were right.

Beat. Everyone just watches the fourteen lights hovering on
the screen.

MORGAN
We have to tape this...

Morgan reaches into the pile of video tapes under the
television stand. He grabs one.

Bo snatches the video as Morgan tries to put it into the VCR.

BO
My ballet recital.

Morgan stares at his sister.

MORGAN
(gravely serious)
Listen Bo. This is very important.
Everything people have written
about in science books is going to
change. The history of the world's
future is on the TV right now. We
need to record this so you can show
your children this tape and say you
were there...
(beat)
For your children Bo.

BO
My ballet recital.

MORGAN
Dad!

Graham doesn't take his eyes off the screen.

GRAHAM
(preoccupied)
Find another tape.

Graham and Merrill sit down at the same time on the sofa.
They both have the same dazed, slow movements.

Morgan rummages through the pile of videos frantically. He
finds one and reaches for the VCR.

MORGAN
Uncle Merrill, I'm using your tape.

Morgan slams the tape marked "Bay Watch" into the VCR and
presses record. He's breathing heavy now. Wheezing
actually.

Morgan moves to the sofa and takes a seat in between his
father and his uncle. Bo walks over and squeezes in also.
The four of them stare at the television.

TV ANCHOR
... You're seeing a live feed from
our NBC affiliate down in Mexico
City. The time there is 7:17pm.
This image has not been adjusted or
enhanced in any way. What you're
seeing is real.
(beat)
Everything they wrote in science
books is about to change.

Beat.

MORGAN
(soft)
Told you.

Morgan brings his asthma spray to his mouth and inhales.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. FAMILY ROOM - MIDNIGHT

The family room lights are off now. The TV is still on. The
SOUND IS MUTED. There are a couple glasses of Bo's water on
the television now.

The fourteen lights are still hovering on the screen. Morgan
is asleep on Graham's lap. Bo is asleep on Merrill's
shoulder.

MERRILL
(whispers)
Some people are probably thinking
this is the end of the world.

Graham turns his sleepy eyes away from the screen to Merrill.

GRAHAM
(whispers)
That's true.

Merrill looks his brother in the eyes. Beat.

MERRILL
(whispers)
Do you think it's a possibility?

GRAHAM
(whispers)
Yes.

MERRILL
(whispers)
How can you say that?

GRAHAM
(whispers)
That wasn't the answer you wanted?

MERRILL
(whispers)
Can you at least pretend to be like
you used to be? Give me some
comfort?

Beat. Graham thinks it over.

GRAHAM
(whispers)
... There are all different ways
you can tell that there's someone
really there watching out for us.
You see signs. Sometimes they're
little ones. You think of someone.
The phone rings. They're on the
phone... Sometimes they're big,
like fourteen lights hovering over
Mexico City.
(beat)
Sure, there are a lot of people
watching this who think this could
be a bad thing. But there are a
lot of people watching this, who
think it's a miracle. A sign of
God's existence. It's all in how
you look at things Merrill.
(beat)
What you have to decide is what
kind of person you are? Are you
the type who believes in miracles
and looks for signs or are you the
kind who believes, things just
happen by chance?

Beat. Merrill is deep in thought.

MERRILL
I was at this party once. I'm on a
couch with Sara Mckinney. She was
just sitting there, looking
beautiful and staring at me. I go
to lean in and kiss her and I
realize I have gum in my mouth. I
turn and take out the gum. Stuff
it in my paper cup next to the sofa
and turn around. Sara Mckinney
throws up all over herself.
(beat)
I knew the second it happened. It
was a miracle. I could have been
kissing her when she threw up.
That would have scarred me for
life. I may never have recovered.

Merrill looks at the TV screen. Beat.

MERRILL
I'm a miracle man. Those lights
are a miracle.

Graham smiles.

GRAHAM
(whispers)
There you go.

Beat.

MERRILL
(whispers)
So which type are you?

Beat.

GRAHAM
(whispers)
Do you feel comforted?

MERRILL
(whispers)
Yes.

GRAHAM
(whispers)
What does it matter then?

The two of them turn back to the silent screen of the
television. It's a long beat before Graham speaks.

GRAHAM
(whispers)
Do you know what Colleen's last
words were before they killed her?

Beat. Merrill turns and stares quietly at his brother.

GRAHAM
(whispers)
She said, "See", and then her eyes
glazed a bit and she said... "Tell
Merrill to swing away."

Merrill's mouth opens a bit. Graham turns and chuckles at
his expression.

GRAHAM
(whispers)
Do you know why she said that?

Merrill nods, "No."

GRAHAM
(whispers)
Because the nerve endings in her
brain were firing as she died, and
some random memory of us at one of
your baseball games popped into her
head.
(beat)
There is no one watching out for us
Merrill. We're all on our own.

Graham turns back to the television. Beat.

THE LIGHT OF THE TELEVISION FLICKERS ON THE FACES OF THE TWO
BROTHERS AS THEY SIT WATCHING IN SILENCE.

CUT TO:

INT. FAMILY ROOM - DAY

Graham's eyes open. DAYLIGHT FILLS the family room. He is
alone on the couch. Alone in the room.

He looks to the television. It's not there.

Graham moves to his feet and look around the room. His eyes
stop on an EXTENSION CORD that runs from a wall outlet in the
family room, across the front hall, and under a closet door.

Graham moves to the door. WE HEAR MUFFLED TELEVISION VOICES.
Graham opens the

CLOSET.

Merrill looks up. He's seated on a kitchen chair with the
television on a roll-away stand crammed in with him.

MERRILL
For the kids protection. All they
were doing was watching TV from
five a.m. I felt like they were
getting obsessed like you said.
They should be playing furry, furry
rabbit or tea party or something
right?

GRAHAM
What's furry, furry rabbit?

MERRILL
(points)
That's a game isn't it?
(beat)
Anyway...
(points at the TV)
There's been some interesting
developments.

GRAHAM
What time is it?

MERRILL
Eleven a.m. They're gone.

Beat. Graham looks at the TV screen. There's a daylight
shot of Mexico City. The skies are empty above it.

MERRILL
But they're not really gone. We
just can't see them. Early this
morning a bird flew right at the
area where the lights were hovering
last night.

Merrill puts a finger in the sky on the screen.

MERRILL
It stopped dead in the air and fell
straight down.

Merrill's finger trails to the bottom of the screen.

MERRILL
They caught it on tape and they've
been playing it all morning. They
found the bird. His head crushed
in. When you see the footage it
looks like the bird flew into a
wall in the sky.
(beat)
They think they have some invisible
shield thing going, like an optical
illusion.

GRAHAM
The bird could have had a heart
attack and crushed his head when he
fell.

MERRILL
Already thought of. Two other
birds did the same thing an hour
later. Not as dramatic. They
lived. But you could see they hit
something.

Graham looks at the empty sky on the screen with different
eyes.

MERRILL
They're still there hovering. In
fact, some people think there's
more of them now. All over the
place. Over us even.
(beat)
And there's a theory about the crop
circles now. They think it could
be some kind of landmark, visual
mapping system -- so they can
navigate. Coordinate. Makes sense
doesn't it?

CUT TO:

INT. MASTER BEDROOM - DAY

We are inside Graham's bedroom facing his bathroom door,
which is closed. The same sun-faded outline of where a large
cross used to hang, is stained on the wall next to the door.

Graham opens the bathroom door and steps out with wet hair.
He towels it dry as he moves to his bedroom window.

WE LOOK OUT THE SAME WINDOW WE LOOKED OUT AT THE VERY
BEGINNING.

The backyard is large and green with a wooden jungle gym. A
single tree throws shade onto a picnic table. The back of
the yard is lined by corn crops. Golden and brown. Six feet
high.

The crops go on well beyond our view. Graham stares at them
quietly. Watching.

Beat. THE SOUND OF WHISPERING DRAWS HIS ATTENTION FROM THE
WINDOW.

He listens closely. HIS CHILDREN ARE WHISPERING IN THE NEXT
ROOM.

CUT TO:

INT. CHILDREN'S BEDROOM - DAY

Graham walks into the hall and looks in their room.

Morgan and Bo are seated on the edge of their bed. They have
TIN FOIL wrapped around their heads like a helmet. Graham
stares at his children.

MORGAN
So the aliens can't read our minds.

GRAHAM
Oh.

MORGAN
They tell you everything in this
book.

Morgan holds up the book he bought from Nathan's bookstore.

Graham enters the room. The children make space for him on
the bed. He takes a seat between them. Morgan puts the book
on his father's lap.

MORGAN
It says they're probably very small
-- like my height -- because, as
their brains developed, there was
no use for physical development.
It says they're probably
vegetarians, because they would
have realized the benefits of such
a diet.