THE THIRD DIMENSION ©

ZOOM TO TIGHT SHOT ON COMPUTER SCREEN
The screen switches from the chat room to the SHADOW LORD INTERACTIVE WEBSITE and Josh clicks on LOAD SAVED GAME. The image then changes once again to the digitized “game scene”.

FADE TO EXT. RIVER BANK - SAME TIME
MEDIUM THREE SHOT
The trio appears on the bank of the Mississippi River in Missouri. The sky is filled with clouds, with occasional patches of sunshine bursting through. The ground has a light powdering of snow on it and little chunks of ice are floating by. The towering buildings of St. Louis can be seen on both sides of the river. One of the trees nearby casts a shadow across the river, of which Shadow Lord emerges from. Walking on water, Shadow Lord approaches them.

SHADOW LORD
Welcome my friends. I hope that you are all well rested.

RANDOR
Hang on a second, guys. I gotta go turn up the heater.

SIBYL
Me too. It must be getting colder outside.

Neither of the pair leave, but stand there unmoving - waiting.

SHADOW LORD
And how about you, Yasuru? Do you wish to adjust the temperature?

YASURU
Nah. I’m OK.

RANDOR
OK. It ought to kick in pretty soon.

YASURU
So. What are we doing here?

SHADOW LORD
Wanting to get right to work? No small talk or words of greeting?

YASURU
No offense, but I don’t see any reason to make small talk with a program,
and I have plans later on tonight.

SHADOW LORD
Very well. In a few moments, a riverboat will be passing by.
It is run by agents of our foe as a source of income.
You are to stop and destroy the boat.
Any funds you find on board go into your character’s account.

SIBYL
In other words, we can ransack for gold.

SHADOW LORD
Correct.

RANDOR
Yeah. Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about.

Smiling, Shadow Lord vanishes in a cloud of black smoke.

RANDOR
OK then. Let's get going.

Randor starts walking towards the water.

SIBYL
What do you think you're doing?

Randor stops and turns around. The riverboat comes into view around a bin.

RANDOR
Heading out to the boat.

YASURU
And you just figure you'll swim on out there?

RANDOR
Sure. Why not?

YASURU
In case you didn't notice, the water out there is freezing
and you're weighted down with heavy weaponry.

RANDOR
So?

Yasuru shakes his head in disbelief.

YASURU
OK. Go ahead. But don't bitch to me when you lose a life.
For that matter, I'm not even sure how many we get with this game.

Randor looks on questioningly.

You'll drown, you moron.

RANDOR
Then what do you suggest, Einstein?
The boat's on the way and if we continue to just stand here,
it'll pass us by.

YASURU
I'm not sure. Sibyl?

SIBYL (looking indignant)
It’s about damn time. Why don't you two muscle heads
move out of the way and let me do what I do best.

Sibyl walks past the two of them, gently shoving them as she goes. Picking up a handful of sand off the bank, she gently blows the grains over the water. As they begin to tumble to the river, she projects a magical spell, turning the sand red and into a bridge suspended in mid-air. As the boat approaches, it will come within a few feet of the newly-erected bridge. Sibyl turns back around, smiling.

So there.

RANDOR
All right, all right. You're perfect. Happier now?

SIBYL
Yes.

Sibyl leads the way over the sand bridge and, as the boat passes alongside, the trio hop aboard. As they do, the sand bridge dissolves behind them into the water.

CUT TO INT. OF RIVERBOAT CASINO - SAME TIME
WIDE SHOT
Inside the riverboat, a large number of patrons are enjoying themselves at the various gambling tables. Two-way mirrors and video cameras are located throughout the room. The general populace are dressed semi-formally, with a select few dressed extravagantly. All of the casino employees are dressed in tuxedo shirts, bow ties and cummerbunds. The entrance of the trio goes fairly unnoticed at first.

CUT TO MEDIUM THREE SHOT

YASURU
So, where do we start?

RANDOR
Over here looks pretty good.

Walking over to the nearest table, Randor growls at the patrons and proceeds to tip the table over and throw it against the wall. This draws the attention of the entire boat and panic starts to grow.

SIBYL
Subtle, isn't he?

YASURU (addressing the crowd)
Excuse me ladies and gentlemen.
I regret to inform you that today's festivities have been canceled.
Please make your way to the nearest exits.
We don't wish to hurt anyone, so please cooperate.

RANDOR
Speak for yourself.

The crowd mills about, very unsure about what is going on. While several people heed Yasuru's advice, the majority of people stand around confused.

What's the matter people? Don't you understand English?
The man said to get the hell out.

YASURU (to Sibyl)
Why don't you find the Captain of this boat and instruct him
to get close to the river bank so as these folks can be unloaded.

SIBYL
Check.

As Sibyl turns to leave, Randor walks up to a woman dressed in an elegant evening gown with a diamond necklace.

RANDOR
Hey there pretty lady. How about you hand over that necklace?
And maybe, if you play your cards right,
I might show you the club I keep in my loincloth.

YASURU
That's enough of that crap right now.

RANDOR
Hey. He said that we could keep anything we find.

Randor grabs hold of the woman around the waist.

And I just found me a real treasure.

Yasuru quickly pulls out an arrow and aims it at Randor.

YASURU
Not on my watch.

RANDOR
Hey! Cool down Robin Hood. I'm just having a little fun here.

YASURU
There's a limit, buddy. And you're bordering it.

Randor releases the woman, who runs to her husband and out the door.

RANDOR
Hey man. No harm, no foul.

Yasuru uncocks the arrow. Sibyl, who watched the exchange silently, now proceeds toward the door.

SIBYL
That alone should answer your question, Yasuru.

Just as she is about to reach the door, five armed guards bust through.

HEAD GUARD
OK you three. Stop right where you are.

SIBYL
Yeah right. Whatever.

Sibyl takes a step toward the door, but is stopped as GUARD #3 shoots her through the leg. The crowd still inside the casino begins to scatter for the exits, screaming and climbing over each other. Sibyl goes down as Yasuru and Randor react. With his hands already on his weapons, Yasuru is the first to retaliate by planting an arrow in GUARD #3's side. Moving impressively fast for a man of his size, Randor whips out his sword and axe and charges into the midst of the guards. As the rest of the guards open fire, bullets bounce off of Randor's extended weapons as Yasuru ducks, rolls and rearms.

CUT TO TIGHT SHOT OF RANDOR
With one sweep of his sword, Randor decapitates GUARD #2 and GUARD #4. An arrow breezes past Randor's head to hit GUARD #5 in the neck. Randor then swings upward, catching the HEAD GUARD between the legs with his axe.

CUT TO MEDIUM SHOT OF ENSEMBLE
In a matter of seconds, the fight is over. Yasuru quickly moves to Sibyl's side.

YASURU
Are you all right?

SIBYL
Other than having been shot, I'm fine. Give me a second.

Concentrating on herself, Sibyl is bathed in the green aura of her healing spell.

CUT TO TIGHT SHOT OF LEG WOUND
As Yasuru watches, the leg wound pulls itself back together and heals.

CUT TO MEDIUM SHOT OF TRIO
As Randor walks over, he offers a helping hand to Sibyl, who is raised to her feet and gingerly puts weight on her leg.

SIBYL
There we go. Back to normal.

Putting more weight on the leg and less on Randor, she starts advancing on the door again. The place is three-quarters abandoned by now. Several people have been caught in the stampede to escape, so the number of injured range beyond the guards.

I still have some work to do.

YASURU
Be careful. We've obviously gotten their attention,
and something tells me that we haven't seen the last of the trouble.

Sibyl exits through the doors as Yasuru turns to Randor.

Let's help get these people out of here.

RANDOR
No thanks. You take care of them if you want,
but I'm more interested in other things.

To emphasize his point, he gathers up a wad of bills off the floor and holds them up.

Not to worry. I'll share the bounty with my buds.

Yasuru shrugs slightly, giving up the fight, and walks over to a group of the wounded passengers. He gathers them up one in each arm and takes them out to the deck as the last of them leave.

CUT TO EXT. BOAT DECK - SAME TIME
WIDE SHOT OF ENSEMBLE
As Yasuru carries the two people through the door, he sees that the deck is filled with passengers, all of whom are shying away from the archer. They are beginning to panic, which continues to grow as the scene progresses. A ten foot banner welcoming passengers to the boat hangs over his head. Carefully, he sets the bodies down on the deck and looks around. About then, he hears more gun shots coming from the opposite end of the boat.

CUT TO MOVING WIDE SHOT ON YASURU
Yasuru takes off running around the outside of the boat.

CUT TO WIDE SHOT OF BOAT DECK
At the opposite side of the boat, seven security guards are protecting the bridge. Two of them shoot at Yasuru as he rounds the corner, sending him scattering back. Sibyl is under the stairs leading up to the bridge.

YASURU
You OK over there?

CUT TO TIGHT SHOT ON SIBYL
She is tightly tucked in under the stairs. Behind her is a fire axe and hose in a glass case.

SIBYL
Yeah. I’m fine. Not shot or anything.

CUT TO WIDE SHOT
The security guards take random potshots during the conversation and become obviously irritated at the lightness the heroes are taking this situation.

YASURU
What?

SIBYL
I haven’t been shot at least.

YASURU
Are you OK?

SIBYL
Fine. Grouchy. I’m getting tired of having to be bailed out by you guys.

CUT TO TIGHT SHOT OF YASURU
Yasuru smiles.

YASURU
Well, I can leave if you want.

CUT TO WIDE SHOT

SIBYL
No. Just do me a favor and lay down some cover fire.
I got an idea.

Without warning, Yasuru pulls out two arrows, loads them, jumps out around the corner and fires off the shot. The arrows embed themselves into the paneling behind the guards, causing the guards to duck for cover.

CUT TO TIGHT SHOT ON SIBYL
As Yasuru lets the arrows fly, Sibyl breaks the glass behind her and yanks out the hose. After turning the crank for the water, she runs out into the line of fire.

CUT TO WIDE SHOT
As the water begins to gush from the hose, Sibyl cups her hands over the nozzle and her hands begin to glow red. The water likewise begins to glow red and, upon hitting the guards, coats them in a red gelatinous goo, which hardens quickly. Before they can fully recover and begin shooting again, the guards are frozen in place.

CUT TO MEDIUM TWO SHOT
Yasuru, now able to move freely, walks over next to Sibyl.

YASURU
Feel better now?

Sibyl turns off the nozzle and drops the hose.

SIBYL
Much.

YASURU
Can I ask you a question?

SIBYL
Sure.

YASURU
How are we supposed to get to the bridge now?

CUT TO MEDIUM SHOT OF THE BRIDGE
The entrance to the bridge of the boat is coated in the red cement along with the guards.

SIBYL
Shit.

CUT TO MEDIUM TWO SHOT
Sibyl’s head is hanging a little lower while Yasuru is grinning slightly.

So what do we do now?

YASURU
Do you still have some weather control in you?

SIBYL
Yeah. I haven’t used any of those spells yet. Why?

YASURU
Well if you can get a good wind blowing up,
you can blow the ship to shore.

SIBYL
Just call me Mariah.

YASURU
I’ll go around to the other side and give you a yell when we get close.

Sibyl only nods in response as her hands begin to glow blue.

ZOOM OUT TO WIDE SHOT OF BOAT
A dark cloud begins to form along the side of the riverboat and a small wind begins to gust.

PAN TO WIDE SHOT BEHIND THE BOAT
The process is interrupted, however, by the sight of a St. Louis Police Department speedboat approaching.

CUT TO MEDIUM TWO SHOT
Sybil notices the boat and points to it.

SIBYL
What are they doing here?

YASURU
The captain must have called them in.

SIBYL
But why would crooks call for cops?

YASURU
I’m not sure.

SIBYL
What do we do now?

YASURU
Can you put that cloud behind us to give us some speed?

SIBYL
I’ll have to recast, and it won’t last that long.

YASURU
How many times can you do it?

SIBYL
Three total.

YASURU
Then we’ll have to make this quick. Go for it.

Sibyl nods briefly and turns, hands glowing blue.

CUT TO WIDE SHOT OF BOAT
The first cloud dissipates while a second one forms behind the boat. As the wind begins to blow, the boat slowly picks up speed, with the police boat quickly closing the distance.

CUT TO TWO SHOT
Yasuru turns towards the doors leading to the casino.

YASURU (yelling)
Randor! Get your ass out here! We need you!

Seconds later, Randor bursts out through the doors with two bags bursting with money strapped to his hip.

RANDOR
What’s up chief?

YASURU
Didn’t you hear the gunshots?

RANDOR
No. Did I miss much?

Randor then notices the guards stuck in place.

I guess I did.

YASURU
But the fun’s not over yet.
There’s a bunch of cops behind us that seem to have
there hearts set on stopping us.
Would you mind giving me a hand taking care of them.

RANDOR
Let’s go.

CUT TO MOVING TWO SHOT
Yasuru and Randor start running towards the back of the boat.

RANDOR
You probably think I’ve been pretty useless so far, huh.

YASURU
Well, yeah.

RANDOR
Well, maybe this will make up for it.

As the two men near the crowd at the back of the boat, Yasuru begins to slow down. Randor, on the other hand, continues to charge on and, as the wind-blown crowd parts for him, he launches himself from the back of the boat. Sailing through the air, Randor pulls his sword and his axe. He plunges through the middle of the cloud and lands with a roll on the deck of the police boat.

YASURU
Randor!

CUT TO WIDE SHOT ON POLICE BOAT
As Randor lands on the boat amongst the shocked police officers, he begins smacking cops with the blunt side of his sword, knocking them off the side of the boat.

RANDOR
I’ll meet you on the shore!

As Randor yells back to Yasuru, the boat turns, breaking off pursuit. As it moves out of sight, Randor can be seen plowing his way through the officers towards the back of the boat.

CUT TO MEDIUM SHOT OF BOAT
Both Yasuru and the passengers look on in amazement. After a few seconds, Yasuru turns back and yells forward to Sibyl.

YASURU
OK, Sibyl! Let’s take these people to shore!

Without a spoken acknowledgement, the cloud behind them dissipates and relocates to the side. Yasuru looks around and spots the banner hanging over the door and moves toward it. Behind him, three fraternity brothers are whispering to each other and work to build up their courage.

CUT TO MEDIUM FOUR SHOT
As Yasuru works at untying the banner, the three men attempt to creep up on him to take him by surprise. As they get within arms reach, Yasuru stops but does not turn around.

YASURU
I wouldn’t do it if I were you.

The three men freeze in place.

We aren’t here to hurt anyone,
and we are just trying to get you folks off the boat.
We can get that accomplished much faster and easier if
I don’t have to stop and take the time to put arrows in you three.
Now, if you want to give me a hand here instead, we can all be happy.

The three men look at each other questioningly, then shrug their shoulders.

FRAT MAN #1
What do you want us to do.

Yasuru finishes removing the banner and pulls the rope on which it was hung out.

YASURU
Take this banner and tear it into as many pieces as possible,
but make sure they’re at least three or four inches wide.

PAN TO MOVING SHOT OF YASURU
While walking to the edge of the boat, Yasuru tests the strength of the rope. Satisfied in it, he pulls a arrow from his quiver and ties the rope to it, then tests the knot. Meanwhile, the wind has properly blown the ship close to the shore.

YASURU (yelling)
That’s good!

Yasuru finds a tall pole near the edge and ties the other end of the rope to it. He then pulls off his bow, cocks the arrow and fires.

CUT TO MOVING SHOT OF ARROW
The arrow flies through the air with the tether rope attached.

CUT TO TIGHT SHOT ON TREE
On the shore, the arrow embeds itself deeply in a strong and healthy tree.

CUT TO WIDE SHOT ON BOAT
Yasuru tugs on the rope to make sure its strong, then turns around to address the crowd.

YASURU
OK people. I figure we have three minutes before
we float too far and the line breaks.

Yasuru addresses the Frat Men.

Are you guys done yet?

FRAT MAN #1
Just about.

YASURU
OK. Hand out a strip to each woman.
All the men need to take off your belts.

The passengers begin to comply, calming down at the idea of getting off the boat. The Frat Men start at the front of the line, handing out the strips.

Everybody line up single file.

Yasuru walks over to the first man in line.

Give me your belt.

The man hands Yasuru his belt.

Everybody pay attention. Wrap your belt or strap around the rope.

Yasuru demonstrates, wrapping the belt once around the rope.

One at a time, slide down to the bank.
Be careful to stop before you hit the tree,
and roll with the momentum if you fall.
You ...

Yasuru points at the man in front.

... and you ...

Yasuru grabs the fourth person in line and moves him up to second.

... go first. You two can help those that follow.

He motions for the first man to step forward.

Now go.

As people work their way forward, Sibyl comes around the corner.

Sibyl. Keep an eye on the line for me.

PAN TO MEDIUM MOVING SHOT OF YASURU
As Sibyl takes over his position, Yasuru starts moving down the line, making sure everyone has some form of strap. About half way down the line he finds a male passenger and Frat Man #1 arguing.

MALE PASSENGER #1
But you don’t understand. I don’t have a belt.

FRAT MAN #1
But the straps are for the women.

MALE PASSENGER #1
But how am I going to get off?

YASURU
Do you have any sense of balance?

MALE PASSENGER #1
What do you mean?

Seeing that Yasuru is dealing with the man, Frat Man #1 continues on his way. The line continues to move forward. Yasuru pulls an arrow from the quiver.

YASURU
Here. Try this.

Yasuru balances the arrow in the middle on his finger. After a few seconds of demonstration, he hands it to the man. Mimicking Yasuru, the man balances the arrow.

Good. Use that instead.
Keep the rope in the middle of the arrow.
Don’t let it slip to one side or the other,
or you’ll get a rope burn .... or worse.

Before the man can object, Yasuru moves on. A half dozen people later, Yasuru comes across an elderly couple, both of whom look frightened and confused. The woman - MILDRED - holds the strip with arthritic hands, while the man - GEORGE - is trying to reassure her that they will be OK.

GEORGE
Its all right Mildred.

MILDRED
Oh, George. I can’t do this.

Yasuru, after seeing the couple, yells up to Sibyl.

YASURU
Sibyl! Come here, quick!

Yasuru then scans back in the line and sees that the Frat Men are almost done. Yasuru points at the other two and motions for them to come forward. The line continues to move.

Is everybody all set?

FRAT MAN #2
Yeah. We ran out of strips with three women left,
but they got the idea and ripped off strips from their clothes.

YASURU
Good.

Sibyl comes up from the other direction.

I need you guys to help out these folks.
Sibyl is going to cast a spell, binding them to you.
You boys are going to need to carry your weight along with theirs.
Are you up to it?

FRAT MAN #2
Guess we’ll have to be.

GEORGE
God bless you boys.

FRAT MAN #3
Let’s see if this will work before you go thanking us.

YASURU
You guys fall in line behind George and Mildred.
Sibyl will bind you when you get to the edge.

The men get in line with the elderly couple as Yasuru continues his tour of the line. At the end he sees the three women with torn skirts and blouses, followed by two other men and Frat Man #1. Yasuru exchanges nods with him and goes back to the front of the line. He gets there as the old couple are being bound to the Frat Men by Sibyl. After the casting, Frat Man #2 and George launch themselves off the edge and down the rope.

PAN TO MOVING TWO SHOT
Frat Man #2 and George slide down the rope and land on the shore. During the slide, the arrow is pulled out of the tree a fraction of an inch.

CUT TO MEDIUM FOUR SHOT
Frat Man #3 and Mildred step up to the edge and step off the boat. Mildred has her eyes closed tight and is whimpering slightly.

PAN TO MOVING TWO SHOT
Frat Man #3 and Mildred start to slide down the rope. About half way down, the arrow slips a full inch, causing the rope to dip. Mildred screams, but the two of them reach the shore safely. Upon them reaching steady ground, the magical bonds evaporate. George moves to his wife to provide comfort.

CUT TO MEDIUM SHOT OF BOAT EDGE
Seeing what just happened, Yasuru turns to the rest of the passengers. There are over a dozen still left on board.

YASURU
Let’s hustle people. We’re down to seconds now.

The crowd begins to hurry faster; each person loosening the arrow just a little more. As the last three men are preparing to go, the rope becomes taught and the boat adds to the slipping of the arrow. The next two men rush forward, chancing going two at a time. As the last Frat Man steps to the edge and swings off, the arrow comes undone.

PAN TO MOVING ONE SHOT OF FRAT MAN
Frat Man #1 manages to slide about half way down the rope until he hits the frigid water. Instantly, shock sets in. Still too far from shore, it looks as though he may be done for until the sound of a speedboat is heard.

CUT TO MOVING WIDE SHOT OF POLICE BOAT
Randor, now driving the police speedboat, comes zooming up to the fallen Frat Man. Cutting the engine and moving to the side, Randor manages to swing the boat by the Frat Man and snatches him out of the water. Once he is securely on the boat, Randor pilots the boat to the shore. He quickly hands Frat Man #1 to his Frat brothers and guns the boat in pursuit of the riverboat without a word.

CUT TO MEDIUM TWO SHOT ON RIVERBOAT
Yasuru and Sibyl are standing at the back of the boat. Free to float, the boat has moved away from the shore and has traveled further down river. The sun is quickly setting behind them.

SIBYL
So what happens now?

YASURU
Now we sink the boat.

SIBYL
And how are we going to go about that?

Yasuru checks his arrows finding that he has six left.

YASURU
What do you have left?

SIBYL
Not much. Two healing spells, a Chain of Binding
and a strengthening spell.

CUT TO WIDE SHOT OF RIVERBOAT
In the moments that have past, Randor has been able to pull the speedboat up next to the riverboat.

RANDOR (yelling)
Hey you two! Want a lift?

CUT TO MEDIUM TWO SHOT

YASURU (to Sibyl)
I’ve got an idea. Come on.

PAN TO MOVING SHOT OF YASURU
Running towards the edge, Yasuru launches himself over the side, somersaults in the air and lands in a crouch on the speedboat.

CUT TO MOVING SHOT OF SIBYL
Sibyl is apprehensive, walking over to the edge. Without any other way down, she hesitates but steps off the side. She lands wrong and stumbles into Yasuru, who catches her before she can fall.

YASURU
You OK?

SIBYL
Fine. I didn’t put as much into dexterity as you did.

CUT TO MEDIUM THREE SHOT
Randor cuts the engine and walks up to Yasuru and Sibyl.

RANDOR
So what’s the plan?

YASURU
Well, we need a little teamwork. If Sibyl can cast a spell on your sword,
do you think you can slice a hole in the side of the boat
below the waterline?

Randor pulls his sword from its sheath.

RANDOR
I like it.

Sibyl stands still with a look of disgust on her face.

What?

SIBYL
What happened to the police officers?

RANDOR
What do you mean?

SIBYL
Did you kill the cops?

Yasuru, seeing where this is heading, steps between the two of them.

YASURU
We really don’t have time for this.

SIBYL
We’ll make time. What happened to them?

RANDOR
For your information, I knocked them unconscious
and left them on the river bank about two miles back.

Yasuru and Sibyl both look surprised.

YASURU
You what?

RANDOR
Yes, I let them live. Surprise. I’m a barbarian, not a monster.

SIBYL
Will miracles ever cease?

RANDOR
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now can we get on with this?

Sibyl, now smiling, reaches out and takes Randor’s sword. In casting the spell, Sibyl’s hands and the sword glow red and, after its completion, the blade continues to have a red hue. Sibyl hands it back to Randor.

RANDOR
Thank you. Now, do either of you know how to drive a boat?

Yasuru and Sibyl both look at each other questioningly, then look back at Randor with a shrug.

Great.

YASURU
Show Sibyl how to run the controls and I’ll help you keep your balance.

SIBYL
Works for me.

PAN TO MOVING WIDE SHOT OF SPEEDBOAT
Randor gives Sibyl a thirty second lesson and catches back up to the riverboat while Yasuru stays up front. When they are even with the back of the casino, Randor comes up to Yasuru and hangs off the side of the boat. Yasuru holds his ankles as Randor takes a swing with the sword and Sibyl accelerates.

CUT TO TIGHT SHOT OF SWORD
The enchanted sword slices through the bulkhead just under the water line, sending chunks of the ship splintering and breaking. At the front of the boat, Randor finishes his swing and uses the momentum to flip forward and back up to the deck of the police boat.

CUT TO WIDE SHOT OF POLICE BOAT - FRONTAL VIEW
The speedboat continues to move away from the riverboat as it begins to sink into the river. As an afterthought, Sibyl releases both of the strengthening spells as the sword stops glowing and the red cement returns to water. The guards that had been captured and the captain of the riverboat all dive off the side and swim for shore.

PAN TO WIDE SHOT - REAR VIEW
Randor moves back to the controls of the boat, which Sibyl relinquishes. The trio continue along the river into the blackness of night.

CUT TO EXT. SHORE LINE - A FEW MINUTES LATER
MEDIUM THREE SHOT
In the moonlight, Randor pilots the speedboat onto the shore. Upon contact, Yasuru hops out and pulls the boat land bound. Sibyl and Randor then join him on the ground.

RANDOR
So what happens now?

As if summoned, a black fog begins to swirl amongst the trio’s feet, then flows and coalesces in the middle of them, forming Shadow Lord.

SHADOW LORD
It’s about time you got here.

YASURU
We ran into some complications.

SHADOW LORD
I know. You wasted too much time saving the passengers.

For the first time, Shadow Lord appears to be angry. He turns and looks directly at Randor.

And you. How dare you show mercy? I had much higher hopes for you.

YASURU
Lay off. Its our game; we’ll play how we like.

Shadow Lord glares at Yasuru, then spins and walks away.

SHADOW LORD
Leave now and return tomorrow morn. I will set the next stage then.

RANDOR
Hey!

FADE TO INT. JOSH’S DORM - SAME TIME
TIGHT SHOT ON COMPUTER SCREEN
The image switches from the previous scene digitized to the chatroom. Josh types and talks at the same time.

JOSH
What the hell?

SIBYL
Did we just get kicked out?

RANDOR
Sure seems like it.

SIBYL
I’ve never heard of that.

ZOOM OUT TO MEDIUM SHOT OF JOSH
The room is very dark, save for the glow of the computer screen. There is a long, loud knock at the door.

JOSH
Yeah. Come in.

PAN TO MEDIUM SHOT OF ROOM
Lori opens the door and walks in. Noticing how dark it is, she turns on the overhead light. She is dressed in the black dress and looks angry.

LORI
Have you been in here this whole time?

Josh turns toward her, surprised.

JOSH
Yeah. Why?

LORI
I’ve been knocking for the past five minutes.

JOSH
Why? What’s up?

LORI
Are we or are we not going out tonight?

JOSH
Yeah. At eight, right?

LORI
Yeah.

JOSH
What time is it now?

LORI
8:10.

JOSH
What?

Josh looks in surprise towards the clock.

CUT TO TIGHT SHOT OF CLOCK
The clock flips over to 8:06.

CUT TO MEDIUM SHOT OF ROOM
Josh looks back at Lori.

JOSH
God. I am so sorry. I swear I didn’t realize how late it had gotten.

LORI
Obviously. I was hoping you weren’t planning on going like that.

Josh takes note that he’s still in his T-shirt.

JOSH
No. Could you do me a favor and grab me a shirt out of the closet.
I’ll finish up here ...

Josh turns back to the computer screen.

... and be right with you.

LORI (snippy)
Well, hurry up.

Josh begins to type again.

JOSH
Gotta go. Lori’s here.

RANDOR
Already?

Lori shoots the computer a look as the synthesized voice comes out. She then returns to searching Josh’s closet for a perfect shirt. She quickly gets frustrated with the lack of choices.

SIBYL
What time is it?

JOSH
A little after eight.

RANDOR
Where did the time go?

Lori pulls out a set of keys that were laying on a shelf.

LORI
What are these to?

JOSH
The computer lab. Comes with the job.

Lori puts the keys back and continues with her search. Josh answers Randor’s question, both verbally and by typing.

I don’t know.

SIBYL
It didn’t even feel like we were playing for an hour.

JOSH
I know. It’s really strange.

Pulling out a shirt, Lori walks over to Josh and clears her throat. Josh turns his head to see that she’s upset and quickly turns back.

Gotta go. Catch ya later.

SIBYL
Bye.

RANDOR
Have fun.

Josh closes the webbrowser, leaving it to go to the fireplace screensaver. He gets up and takes the shirt from Lori.

JOSH
Thanks. I’m real sorry.

Lori’s anger slowly slips from her face as she tries to smile. Josh quickly slips on the shirt, tucking and buttoning on the move.

LORI
It’s all right. Just don’t ever let it happen again.

Josh grabs his coat, shuts off the light and opens the door, holding it for her to walk through.

JOSH
I just don’t understand it.

The two walk through the door and Josh starts to pull it shut.

We’ve never lost track of time like that before.

As the door closes, the screensaver kicks in.

ZOOM TO TIGHT SHOT OF SCREEN
While the screensaver runs, it is overlaid by Shadow Lord’s eyes.

CUT TO INT. OF THE SPOT - FOUR HOURS LATER

ZOOM TO TIGHT TWO SHOT
Lori slips into one of the three seats, crossing her legs and showing off the shortness of the dress. She slides her coat off her shoulders with a shimmy. Josh begins to pull out a chair for himself when she turns to him.

LORI
Be a dear and get me a margarita.

JOSH
What?

Realizing that the music is loud, the couple adjusts their voices so as to be heard.

LORI
I said I want a margarita.

JOSH
Are you sure? After all, you’re driving.

Lori gives Josh a dirty look.

LORI
Don’t even start. Go.

Josh pushes his chair back in and turns to leave.

PAN TO MEDIUM SHOT OF BAR
Josh walks over to the crowded bar. CARL - the bartender - is moving around filling orders and ignoring Josh. After a few seconds, Josh pushes his way to the the bar and waves down Carl.

JOSH
Give me a margarita and a rum and coke.

CARL
ID.

JOSH
Beg your pardon?

CARL
ID. Show me some ID or get away from me.

Josh acts as though he’s searching his pockets, then shrugs.

That’s what I thought.

Carl turns and starts to walk away.

JOSH
Can I at least get a couple of cokes?

Carl turns back around, swooping up two twelve ounce glasses. He quickly fills them with ice, then splashes in some coke from the dispenser. He then pounds them down in front of Josh.

CARL
Five bucks.

JOSH
What?

CARL
Five bucks.

Josh fishes into his pocket and pulls out a ten dollar bill. He reluctantly hands it over to Carl, who snatches it from Josh, hits a button on the cash register, throws the money in and pulls out five singles. He then swings back to Josh, counts off three of them and puts them on the bar in front of him. Carl then stuffs the other two into his shirt pocket.

JOSH
Hey!

CARL
Tip. Now get outta here.

Carl turns and walks on to another patron. Clearly angry, Josh picks up his change and the drinks.

PAN TO MEDIUM TWO SHOT AT TABLE
Josh walks carefully back to the table, narrowly missing getting bumped three times. Lori is clearly enjoying herself until he gets into view, then becomes disappointed when Josh places the coke in front of her.

LORI
I said I wanted a margarita.

JOSH
He carded me.

LORI
And you don’t have a fake ID?

JOSH
No.

Lori once again looks angry.

LORI
Fine. I’ll get the drinks.

Lori puts her hand out, clearly looking to get the cash from Josh. Realizing that its not worth the argument, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a twenty.

What do you want?

JOSH
I’ll just drink these.

LORI
Whatever.

PAN TO MOVING SHOT OF LORI
Lori walks away from the table and starts for the bar, only to get sidetracked to the dance floor. There she becomes the center of attention for three men: REGGIE, BART and PETER.

CUT TO MEDIUM SHOT OF JOSH
Left sitting there, Josh takes a sip of one of the cokes in front of him.

FADE TO MEDIUM SHOT OF JOSH - 30 MINUTES LATER
With one of the cokes drained, Josh is sipping the last half of the other. Lori dances back to the table carrying a margarita that is a quarter empty. a thin glaze of sweat covers her face, arms and legs. She plops back into her seat breathless. In the corner, a faint image of Shadow Lord appears and watches the couple.

LORI
Whew.

JOSH
Having fun?

Lori nods and takes a drink of the margarita. As she lowers the glass, she gets up again and starts to walk back to the dance floor. She stops and turns around to find Josh still sitting at the table.

LORI
Aren’t you coming?

JOSH
I’m not that good of a dancer.
I thought maybe we could just sit and talk for a while.

Shadow Lord disappears back out of existence. Lori walks back to the table and drags Josh out of his seat.

LORI
Don’t be silly. Come on, there’s nothing to it. Just move to the music.

PAN TO MEDIUM SHOT OF DANCE FLOOR
Lori, pulling Josh by the hand, dances her way to the dance floor. Once there, she lets go and dances out to the middle of the floor. There she is met by the three men again. Josh stays near the edge of the dance floor, but was truthful in saying he was not a good dancer. His lack of style is very obvious, and he quits after a few minutes. As inconspicuous as possible, he moves off the dance floor and returns to the table.

PAN TO MEDIUM SHOT OF TABLE
As Josh begins to sit down, a waitress in her early thirties - SAM - comes over to the table. As she picks up the empty coke glass, she looks at Josh and recognizes him.

SAM
Josh?

JOSH
Aunt Sam?

SAM
Hey there, kiddo. What are you doing here?

JOSH
I’m here on a date.

SAM
What?

JOSH
Yeah.

SAM
I guess its been a while since I last saw you.

JOSH
Not since the funeral.

SAM
That sounds about right. How’s your mom?

JOSH
Not too bad. Both her and dad work a lot trying to make
ends meet. Its pretty tough on them with trying to put me through college.
The money I got from grandma in my inheritance covers tuition,
but everything else puts a drain on them.

Sam puts down her tray and sits down next to her nephew.

SAM
I kinda figured. Can’t you get a part time job to help out?

JOSH
I’ve got one. I work on campus in the computer lab,
but that only goes so far.

SAM
Isn’t this place kinda expensive for you?

JOSH
Yeah, but this is where Lori wanted to go.
I’m gonna have to figure out how to pay the folks back for tonight.
And on top of this, I ended up dropping almost two hundred dollars
at some French place before here.

SAM
Does she know what type of strain it is on you?

JOSH
Probably not.

SAM
Well, take a piece of advice from me. Tell her.
If she really cares, she’ll understand.

JOSH
You’re probably right.

Josh takes a sip of his coke.

So, how long have you been working here?

SAM
A couple of months.
When Bob ran off with that teenage girl,
he left me and your cousin high and dry.

JOSH
Uncle Bob’s gone?

SAM
Yeah.

JOSH
The bastard.

SAM
Yeah.

JOSH
Does mom know?

SAM
No. I just haven’t been up to talking about it.

JOSH
Well, you’re talking to me.

Sam smiles.

SAM
When did you become such a bright kid.

Josh shrugs.

JOSH
Why don’t you give mom a call tomorrow.
I’m sure she’d be glad to hear from you,
and what good is family if you can’t pull together when its needed.

SAM
Now who’s dishing out free advice?

Sam starts to pick up her tray again.

I should probably get back to work before Carl has a fit.

JOSH
Carl?

Sam points back to the bar with her head.

SAM
The bartender.

Sam takes another look at the table and realizes that their is a margarita there.

Actually, I’m kinda surprised you were able to get that.

Josh takes note of the margarita as well.

JOSH (defensively)
It’s not mine.

SAM
Hey, its OK. I won’t say anything.

JOSH
No, really. Its not mine. Lori got it. I’m drinking coke.

Josh picks up the glass and takes another drink to prove his point, draining the last of its contents.

SAM
OK. Just be careful. Don’t let her drive if she drinks too much.

JOSH
Yes ma’am.

Still laughing, Sam gets up and grabs her tray.

SAM
Would you like another one of those?

JOSH
I don’t think so. They’re too expensive.

SAM
Tell me about it.

Sam leans over and gives Josh a one-armed hug.

Be good, Josh.

JOSH
You too.

Sam grabs the now empty glass and leaves.

CUT TO MEDIUM SHOT OF DANCE FLOOR - JOSH’S POV
Lori steps off of the dance floor, headed back to the table. She is carrying another drink in her hand, this time a mudslide. Reggie, Bart and Peter are also walking with her carrying drinks.

CUT TO MEDIUM FIVE SHOT
As Lori sits down, she is laughing with the three men at something that was said between them. Reggie and Peter remain standing while Bart sits in the third chair. Josh is bewildered by this change of events and looks at them questioningly.

LORI
OK, let me get this straight now. Guys, this is Josh.
Josh, this is Bart, Peter and ....

REGGIE
Reggie.

LORI
Yeah, Reggie. Anyway, Peter here ...

Lori takes Peter by the hand.

... is Pre-Med, while Bart ...

Lori takes Bart’s hand in her other one.

... is Pre-Law and on the football team.

JOSH
That figures. And what does Reggie Pre- in?

REGGIE (smiling)
Pre-Alcoholism.

LORI
Reggie is Peter’s roommate.

JOSH
I see.

LORI
Actually, Reggie and you are in the same field.

Reggie smiles sheepishly and belches.

JOSH
I sincerely doubt that.

Lori continues, ignoring Josh’s observation.

LORI
They all go to State.

JOSH
I’m sorry?

PETER
She said we go to State.

JOSH
Yeah, I know. I’m sorry.

BART
What’s that supposed to mean?

JOSH
Just that I wouldn’t go to a big school like that if you paid me.

BART (with attitude)

JOSH
Well, I pictured you to be a mean drunk.
I’m sorry only one of us can be right.

BART
Hey!

Lori lets go of both men’s hands as Bart gets mad and Peter grabs him by the shoulders.

PETER
Let it go, man. It ain’t worth it.

Bart breaks away from Peter, gets up, picks up his drink, and walks away. Peter looks at Reggie, who takes the cue and trails after Bart.

We’ll catch ya later, Lori.
You know where to find us if you want us.

Lori gets angry as Peter walks away.

LORI (to Josh)
What’s your damage?

JOSH
What?

LORI
Those guys were my friends, and you were rude to them.

JOSH
Your friends? How long have you known them?

LORI
What difference does that make?

JOSH
You just met them, didn’t you?

LORI
So what if I did.

JOSH
You’re here with me, but picking up other guys; and dickheads at that.

Both Lori and Josh are getting angry.

LORI
Just because we’re out on a date doesn’t mean that you own me.

JOSH
It also doesn’t mean that you can treat me like a doormat either.

LORI
What do you mean by that?

JOSH
I mean that since we walked through that door you haven’t spent
more than five minutes with me.

LORI
Oh, please. What about you? When I asked you to dance, you blew me off.

JOSH
I blew you off? I didn’t even have both feet on the dance floor
before you were off shaking your ass in front of those guys.

LORI
Well, excuse the hell out of me for having some fun.

JOSH
Well, I’m glad one of us is.

Lori takes a drink of her mudslide.

LORI
Christ. I’ve never met a rich guy who’s as big of a stick in the mud as you.

Josh is surprised by this.

JOSH
Rich? Who’s rich?

Lori realizes that she’s slipped, but is too mad to care.

LORI
You. I saw your financial records at school. I know you’re loaded.

JOSH
Is that why you wanted to get together with me?

LORI
It sure as hell wasn’t for your sparkling personality.

JOSH
Well honey, I got some bad news for you.
I’m so broke, I’d have to take out a loan to buy a gumdrop.
Your little spending spree tonight may just put me in the poor house.

LORI
But I saw ....

JOSH
You saw the money my grandmother left me in her will for college.
The trust fund is set up to pay my tuition at the beginning of every year.

Lori gets angrier and stands up.

LORI
You mean I’ve wasted the past two months pursuing some penniless schmuck
who’s idea of a good time is vegging in front of a computer screen?

JOSH
Afraid so.

LORI
This is bull shit.
I hope you have fun snuggling with your keyboard, you freak.

Lori grabs her coat and drink and storms off.

JOSH
Hey! How am I supposed to get home?

CUT TO EXT. DORM ENTRYWAY - TWO HOURS LATER
WIDE SHOT OF DOOR
A car pulls up in front of Josh’s building.

ZOOM TO MEDIUM TWO SHOT
Josh climbs out of the passenger seat. Once he’s out, Sam leans across.

JOSH
Thanks for the ride, Sam.

SAM
No problem, kiddo. Sorry things didn’t work out for ya.

JOSH
Yeah, me too.

SAM
At least you found out what kind of person she is
before things got too far along.

JOSH
Uh-huh.

SAM
And you deserve better than her anyhow.

JOSH
I guess. Thanks again.

SAM
Chin up, bucko. I’ll see ya later.

JOSH
Later.

Josh backs up and closes the door. Sam pulls away and Josh crosses behind the car to enter the building.

CUT TO INT. LOBBY - SAME TIME
MEDIUM SHOT
As Josh walks in through the door, Kelly is at the pop machine. She notices Josh as she removes the drink.

KELLY
Hey Josh. Back already?

JOSH
Uh-huh.

KELLY
What’s the matter?

JOSH
I’ve had a miserable night.

PAN TO MOVING TWO SHOT
The two begin walking down the hallway towards their rooms. The dorm is filled with the sounds of life, even though it is after two in the morning.

KELLY
I was told you were out with Lori.

JOSH
I was.

KELLY
Oh. That bad, huh?

JOSH
Yep.

KELLY
What happened?

JOSH
She left me sitting when she found out I wasn’t rich.

KELLY
You? Rich?

JOSH
She somehow got a hold of my tuition information and
misinterpreted the trust fund.

KELLY
And she just abandoned you there?

JOSH
Yeah.

KELLY
Can I be honest with you?

JOSH
Of course.

KELLY
You’re better off without her. She’s a skank.

Josh stops in the hallway. Kelly stops a second later.

JOSH
What? Why didn’t you say anything?

KELLY
Guys live by certain rules. So do girls. And I wasn’t sure.
I was hoping I was wrong and that you would be happy.

JOSH
I guess you’ll learn to follow your instincts from now on.

KELLY
She wasn’t your type anyway.

JOSH
Oh? And what is my type?

KELLY
A girl that is nice, smart, well adjusted,
and has a tolerance for your hobbies and quirks.

JOSH
I sometimes wonder if there is such a woman.
And if there is, what’s going to draw her to a geek like me.

KELLY
Your being to hard on yourself. Don’t let Lori get into your head like that.

JOSH
But what do I have to offer?

KELLY
You’re smart. You have a good sense of humor. You’re a good friend.

JOSH
Ouch. The kiss of death.

KELLY
That’s not what I mean.
Besides, you have a cuteness factor going for you too.

JOSH
Thanks. I think.

The two of them continue down the hall.

KELLY
Heck. If I weren’t with Paul, I’d go out with you.

The two stop and look at each other.

JOSH
Really?

KELLY
Yeah.

Josh begins to smile.

If I wasn’t in love with Paul.

Josh’s mood drops again.

Sorry.

JOSH
S’okay.

Josh looks up and smiles again. They start walking.

Paul is a really lucky guy.

KELLY
I’ll be sure to not tell him you said that.

JOSH
Thanks.

Kelly is the first to reach her door as Josh travels down two more. A party is heard from the room between them.

KELLY
Don’t let it get you down. Go on in and get some rest.
Things’ll look better tomorrow.

JOSH
G’night.

Both open their doors and walk in.

CUT TO INT. JOSH’S ROOM - SAME TIME
MEDIUM SHOT
As Josh opens the door, the only light in the room is the still-running screensaver. He turns on the overhead light, pulls off his jacket, kicks off his shoes and walks towards the desk. Half way there, he stops and looks at the computer, then turns and flops down on his bed. The party can be heard through the wall next door. Josh finds his copy of Hamlet laying on the floor and picks it up; flipping it open to read. After a few seconds of this, he slams the book shut and flips it across the room. Realizing that he’s not going to get comfortable, he stands up.

JOSH (to himself)

He walks over and sits down in front of the computer, moving the mouse to deactivate the screensaver. He clicks on the webbrowser and enters into the chat room. He types and speaks at the same time.

Hello?

No response comes. As Josh leans back in his chair, there is a knock at the door.

Come in.

Paul and Keith enter the room.

PAUL
Hey dude.

JOSH
What’s up?

KEITH
Well, we were just next door at Paul’s when Kelly told us what happened.

PAUL
So we thought we’d come on over and try to cheer you up.

Josh smiles slightly.

JOSH
Thanks guys. I appreciate it.

PAUL
You wanna come on over and have a couple of beers?

JOSH
I don’t know. I really don’t feel like drinking.

KEITH
God, you must be depressed.

JOSH
Not really. I just don’t feel like doing much.

The door across the hall opens and Al comes out.

AL
What’s going on?

KEITH
Lori dissed Josh.

AL
Dude. I’m sorry.

JOSH
I guess it happens.

With Josh’s back turned to the computer, he doesn’t realize that Sibyl and Randor have logged on.

SIBYL
Hey guys.

Josh is startled by the voice coming from behind him.

JOSH
I forgot this thing was on.

He tips forward to face the desk. The three men turn to leave.

Hey guys. Don’t leave. Let me sign off and we’ll hang.

AL
Sounds good to me. I need a break from studying.

Josh types and speaks the same dialog.

JOSH
]What are you two doing up this late?

SIBYL
My phone started ringing and woke me up.
When I answered, it was a computer call, so I hooked up.

RANDOR
Me too. When I connected, I found myself here.
Yasuru, is this your idea of a joke?

Hearing this, Paul moves over behind Josh.

JOSH
It wasn’t my idea.

RANDOR
Well, seeing that this is your chatroom, I wasn’t sure.

JOSH (to Paul)

PAUL
Nope.

Shadow Lord logs onto the chat room.

JOSH
What the hell?

SHADOW LORD

JOSH (typing)

Josh is interrupted by the screen changing to the game.

CUT TO INT. CARGO BAY - SAME TIME
MEDIUM FOUR SHOT
Yasuru, Randor, Sibyl and Shadow Lord are standing in the cargo bay of an airplane. The only light is provided by red warning lights along the wall. The engines can be heard from outside, indicating that the plane is in flight. Save for a few crates, miscellaneous small luggage and a cargo net hanging from the ceiling, the bay is empty.

YASURU
... ter.

RANDOR
What the hell?

SHADOW LORD

YASURU
Now hold on a second.

Shadow Lord spins to face Yasuru, filled with rage.

SHADOW LORD

Shadow Lord begins to pace as he talks.

This place holds ...

CUT TO JOSH’S ROOM - SAME TIME
MEDIUM SHOT
All four of the men are gathered around the computer screen. The previous scene is continued on the screen.

SHADOW LORD

JACK
Who does this guy think he is?

JOSH
I don’t know, and I don’t like it.

RANDOR
And what if we decide we don’t want to?

SHADOW LORD

The guys exchange glances among themselves.

AL
OK. Now that sounded downright ominous.

Josh grabs a piece of paper and writes down a web address.

JOSH
That’s it. This is getting old real fast. Paul, do me a favor.

Josh hands the piece of paper to Paul.

See if you can work your magic on this website.
Let me know what you can find out.

PAUL
Will do.

JOSH
See if Mike can give you a hand.

SIBYL
So all we need to do is find this guy and stop him?

Paul, Al and Keith quickly leave the room.

continue …