Dark Burning

Eight years old TREVOR stands in the middle of an old school gymnasium, the lighting dimmed. Row upon row of chairs, placed in concentric circles, stretch out around him, packed with people. They stare at the boy in silence. Harsh spot lights turn on.

VOICES : WHO VOUCHES FOR THE BOY?

The kid looks around trying to find the source of the voices. Blinded by the bright lights, he struggles to see properly. Someone steps into the circle. A woman, his mom. Her name is GERTHA.

GERTHA : I do.

VOICES : NO, NOT YOU. NOT YOU.

The boy smiles at his mom, then finally locates the voice’s source. He looks up to the mezzanine at the top of the room. It’s a large gallery with enclosed balconies forming a circle around him. But whoever is in there is hidden behind slats of wooden panelling, carved with intricate patterns and symbols.

GERTHA : He is my son.

VOICES : YOU CAN’T. STEP OUT.

GERTHA : I WILL NOT.

Commotion in the room. Some people in the audience are clearly sympathetic to Gertha. We can see in their expressions that they are suffering with her. A new voice is heard, coming from the balcony. A softer but imposing one. It’s MOTHER THERESE.

THERESE: A mother’s love should be considered. Let’s allow her to vouch for her son.

Gertha looks up with gratitude, trying to see the compassionate person’s face from behind the wood panelling.

A woman, with painted hair and dressed in attire somewhere between a nun and a tribeswoman, strides into the circle. She is sister SHILA. Holding a box, she raises it over her head to show it to the balconies.

VOICES: IT’S FORBIDEN. IT’S A SIN.

She lowers the box and the boy looks inside.

SHILA: Who did give this to you, little one?

The boy doesn’t answer.

GERTHA: It was me!

SHILA : Was it? Was it your mommy, Trevor?

The boy shakes his head. Shila gives Gertha a withering hard look, and flashes a forced smile.

SHILA : Was it an old friend?

The boy shakes his head again. Shila approaches him with the box.

SHILA : Was it the lighthouse man? The one who call himself Oldwise and don’t dare to set foot in here. It was him, wasn’t he? Tell me, Trevor. Tell the truth, my child.

Trevor looks at the box again. There is a small home-made remote control inside.

TREVOR : I made it.

There is tumult in the audience, with gasps and whispers from high and low in the hall.

VOICES: IT’S A SIN. IT’S A SIN.

GERTHA : It’s not a sin! It’s just a toy!

SHILA : Just a toy you say!

Shila lifts her arm and closes her fist. A man in dirty, dark work-overhauls, with an axe strapped on his back, walks into the room. He is BAKER, the firefighter.

Baker walks to the centre of the circle. He hands something to Shila. She shows the object to the audience. A broken, half-burned, homemade drone. Rumour in the audience. The villagers are divided.

SHILA : Do you know how many acres of crop we’ve lost because of this… TOY?

GERTHA : It was not his fault!

SHILA : IT BURNED THE SAME!

The rumour stops. Silence. But someone speaks.

BAKER : It’s not certain.

SHILA : Enough!

GERTHA : Let him speak! Please.

BAKER : I… I can’t say that the drone initiated the fire.

SHILA : Neither you can say it didn’t. Can you? CAN YOU?

Gertha looks at Baker with hope, almost begging. But he hesitates, struggles and, finally looks at her with deep sorry in his eyes. Without an answer, he steps out the circle.

SHILA : IT’S CLEAR. LET’S END THIS!

VOICES: GUILTY. GUILTY. GUILTY. GUILTY. GUILTY. GUILTY.

SHILA : And the seventh vote?

The silence is absolute. Everybody waits.

THERESE’S VOICE : I’m sorry little one.

Shila has a mix of joy and satisfaction on her face when she says the last words to end the trial. Gertha is devastated.

SHILA : ALL WAS SAID. THIS SESSION IS OVER!

Four sacred priestesses, dressed in a new, tribal version of the Burka, approach to take Trevor away. Gertha hugs her son. He looks at her and sees the tears in her eyes.

TREVOR : Why are you crying? Are you sad?

The mother tries to hold her son but the priestess push her back, leading Trevor away. Gertha turns to Shila.

GERTHA : He doesn’t know. He is… special.

SHILA : He is. All God’s creatures are.

GERTHA : It’s not about him. We know it. Let me replace him on this. You can finally get what you want.

SHILA : It’s not about us. It was his acts, it’s his sentence. You can’t take his place. It’s forbidden.

GERTHA : What can I do?

SHILA : You can pray. It’s never too late to start.

Everybody leaves the room, except Gertha. She sees the burnt drone that was left in the circle. Alone, she has a flashback memory. Trevor is in a different room and has the homemade drone in his hands.

TREVOR : Are you angry that I did this?

GERTHA : What do you think?

She forces a smile and holds the expression. Trevor gets out a little notebook and opens it. We can see some stickers with expressions showing emotions. He looks to the stickers and back to his mom. He sees the “happy” sticker.

TREVOR : Are you… happy?

GERTHA : That’s right… I am happy because you are a smart talented boy.

Trevor is borderline autistic and has trouble understanding expressions and emotions. But he has many other qualities. Gertha starts crying.

TREVOR : If you are happy, why are you crying?

She hugs him. He doesn’t understand why, but it feels good.

The sun falls over the horizon. We can see the glimmering bright on the Lighthouse top. The high tower stands in middle of the concentric field of mirrors. The solar farm is all that is left for those who still believe in science. On the other side, a few miles away we can see the neighbour farm with its fields of corn and wheat. Those are the only crops that can still resist this hard soil and inclement weather. But a big portion of it, maybe a quarter, is burnt to the recent incident with Trevor’s drone. The black ashes match with the surroundings. A forest of darken and semi-burnt trees that are always smoking and ready to reignite in dangerous wildfires. That’s why nobody dares to go beyond.

On the other end opposed to the Lighthouse, beyond the crop fields, is the Village. It used to be a place open to both science and religion believers. But the SISTERS have slowly imposed their faith and also their hate towards the other side. Day after day, more technological items have become forbidden. It’s hard to say if the villagers are real believers or if they are just too scared to contradict the religious group. The only thing that holds the two sides together is trade. Energy for food. But this is a thin thread that is about to be broken.

Gertha crosses the burnt field with a determined look. She storms inside the Lighthouse going up the spiral-stairs surrounded by shelves. The whole inner space of the tower is full of books and memorabilia from a distant past. That is all that is left from centuries of human knowledge. She gets inside a room where an old man stands perplex. He calls himself OLDWISE, since his true name was long forgotten.

OLDWISE : How did it go?

GERTHA : He never had a chance.

OLDWISE : I’m sorry.

GERTHA : Don’t be. Not yet.

OLDWISE : Are you planning to appeal? I can find some books with the old procedures.

GERTHA : All this knowledge is useless now. Things are getting worse quick. There is only thing that can make a difference for him. Where is it?

Oldwise walks toward the cabinet full of books and old devices from different times. He opens a little drawer and gets something. It’s a HEART-SHAPED LOCKET. He hands it to Gertha. She opens it and inside there is tiny piece of paper with some numbers. She goes straight to the big safe box. She tries the combination and opens the heavy thick door. Inside there is only one item. A single bullet.

OLDWISE : Are you sure about what are you doing?

GERTHA : Yes. I’m saving my son.

The sun is low in the horizon and the moon can be seen in the sky. People gather in the burnt field in a big circle. In the middle, there is a giant head shape made of long wood sticks and twigs.

Four sacred priestess carrying torches escort Trevor. He looks scared. Shila steps up and takes Trevor by the hand. They walk into the head’s direction. Trevor sees it and tries to resist. He looks around agitated.

TREVOR : Gertha! Gertha!

He is really agitated now and tries to find his mom in the crowd.

TREVOR : Gertha!?! Where are you?

Shila tries to pull Trevor by force. But he resists. Therese comes and kneels near Trevor.

THERESE : You are a brave boy. It’s time.

Therese gently takes Trevor by the hand and leads him inside an opening in the wood head.

THERESE: Trust the Lord. He is going to be always with you.

TREVOR: I’m scared.

THERESE : Don’t be. It’s purification by air. It will redeem all your sins.

We see now the priestess rising the torches and then walking into the centre. Trevor is terrified, looking at the fire getting closer. He starts to cry. He looks at the crowd trying to find a face in the middle of the multitude of strangers. He screams for his mother.

TREVOR : Gertha!!! Get me out of here!!! Are you angry with me? I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Where are you? Gertha!!! MOM!!!

Trevor cries. He cleans his eyes and sees Gertha opening her way through the people and walking straight at him. He smiles relieved. She steps inside the circle and puts herself between Trevor and the priestess. She points a gun around causing an uproar.

GERTHA : This stops now!

SHILA : Have you thought about the consequences of your acts?

GERTHA : Why don’t you shut up?

SHILA : You are just making things worse.

GERTHA : I’m not letting you do this to my son!

SHILA : How many bullets do you have? One? None?

GERTHA : I have enough.

Gertha points the gun at Shila who steps back frightened. Therese walks closer calmly.

THERESE : My child, violence will not save anyone. It never has. Only faith can help now.

GERTHA : Faith? This is a death sentence in disguise. What chance has a little boy out there? And how could he find his way back? Let me go in his place.

THERESE : You know the law. He must go. But if someone else volunteers, you can go with him. Like the sacred trinity, three is the same as one.

Gertha looks around the crowd. There is silence. Nobody dares to say a word. Most people don’t even look at Gertha’s face.

GERTHA : Anyone? Please… he is just a little boy. He could be yours. Please… I’m begging.

Gertha drops her gun crying in despair. At this moment she feels a hand touching her shoulder. She looks up and sees Baker with heavy eyes.

BAKER : I go with you.

Gertha and Baker hand in hand step inside the giant stick wood head to join Trevor. The four priestess uses their torches to put fire on four big ropes around. Wood starts to creak and big crack sounds with the giant head breaking and suddenly liberating a rudimental air balloon. It goes up in the sky with the three people onboard inside its small basket. It slowly drifts beyond the limits of the two farms, over the dark forest, from where nobody has ever returned. But nobody before, had so many reasons to fight their way back.