Mother Earth Lives Inside Us...

Comfort Of The Rains

IN DARKNESS:

We hear thunder rumbling. It is low and mysterious, and we don’t know where it’s coming from yet.

FADE IN:

EXT. AFRICAN PLAINS. A GREY, STORMY DAY.

A huge dark cloud covers the scorching Summer sky and casts its black, looming shadow over the grasslands.

FULL SCREEN - DRY, CRACKED GROUND

One raindrop falls onto the ground, moistening it with water. Then another, and another, until finally it begins to rain heavily.

EXT. ACACIA TREE. DAY.

A group of mysterious figures are asleep in the shade as it rains heavily.

OPENING TITLE CREDIT: “COMFORT OF THE RAINS”

TITLE FADE OUT.

REVEAL: Sybil, Luke, Resus, Cleo, Mr and Mrs Watson, Alston and Bella Negative and Niles Farr all asleep under the shade of the tree. All of them are naked, save for Cleo and Niles’ bandages and Mr Watson’s glasses. It is very peaceful.

CLOSE-UP: THE NAPE OF SYBIL’S NECK

A few drops of rain fall onto Sybil’s smooth skin.

Sybil wakes up, and slowly wipes the raindrops off her skin. She is ecstatic by what she sees. Soon, the whole family awakes slowly, and are in joy by what they see first.

ANGLE - SKY

Raining heavily.

THUNDER FLASH TO:

The family, jumping about, laughing and dancing in the rain. Sybil, Luke, Resus and Cleo grab each other and jump up and down in a playful group hug. They then race off into

EXT. THE GRASSLANDS - CONTINUOUS.

They race across the wet grass, tasting the rain and feeling the freedom of running across the plain. As they calm down, with their hands, they slowly feel the soft, wet tips of the grass.

SYBIL

Lies down and basks in the heavy rain. Luke, Resus and Cleo lie with her, head to head and in a circle. All of them breathe a calm sigh as rain falls onto them.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. BAOBAB TREE. DAY.

Luke, Resus and Cleo are climbing up the tree to feel the rain from a high distance. Sybil tries to climb up the tree, to no avail. She keeps slipping on the surface of the bark and falling on her bottom. We have a small MONTAGE of her trying to climb up the tree.

As the MONTAGE finishes, Sybil is lying in the mud all sopping wet and covered in the stuff. She looks up at the tree, and decides to try again. She approaches the tree for one last go, and just before she is about to place her hands on the bark,

LUKE

Reaches down and lifts his hand towards Sybil. Sybil smiles, and she is helped up by Luke. She passes the screen, leading us to:

EXT. BAOBAB TREE. DAY. A FEW SECONDS LATER.

Sybil is now up the tree with Luke, Resus and Cleo. The rain washes off all the mud as if Sybil is in a shower, and Sybil sighs in contentment, snuggling up next to Luke. The four friends gaze at their African home, happy that they’re living during the rainy season.