LIFEART STUDIO

(Friday night)

A silent tense take-off between them. What will Leo do? His two friends are walking right towards him, they will see Nick in less than 10 seconds. Nick considers his options, but odds are against him - running is no option yet getting caught now will be the end of all things.

Leo’s friends are just a few steps away but at the very last second he turns and diverts them the other way. Nick is sweating balls, trying to wrap his head around what just happened - did Leo just save his ass?

Leo advances down the hill talking with his friends but suddenly turns around coming back up the hill towards Nick, while his two friends keep going back towards the village. Nick sees this and tenses up - Fuck, did Leo just turned him in and sent them for backup?? what should he do? Where the hell is Shena?!

Leo arrives at the corner and hesitantly takes the turn, but Nick is not there. 

Leo looks for him, loudly whispering - “Nick… Nick !”

“Yes”?, comes a voice behind him,

Leo is relieved to have found him, and turns around only to meet a rock hitting him right in the face. He falls and Nick is all over him full of rage and revenge, not caring about his injured arm and how painful it is. 

“What the hell did you do to my daughter?!!!” PUNCH

Leo seems to be trying to say something - “I’m sorry… I fucked up”, Nick keeps punching with his one good arm….Leo: “I want to help”.... but Nick won’t stop, like a wounded animal.

For a minute there it seems like Nick is really doing some damage but within seconds things flip and Leo takes the upper hand, ramming his fists into Nick who’s last fist fight must have been 33 years ago when he still played Rugby at highschool back in England. 

Leo: “I just saved your ass, at least let me talk!”,  PUNCH, “Let me talk!!” PUNCH

Suddenly a gun to Leo’s head. “Get off him”.

Leo gets off Nick, both are dusty, bloody and steaming angry. Nick only now realizes how painful his arm is, the sound of high pitched pain coming through his lips. 

Shena, pointing the gun at Leo: “You wanted to talk?”

Leo, emotional, starts explaining himself: he tells them he never meant for this to happen, that Claudia is very dear to his heart, and that he is willing to do anything in order to fix this wrong doing. 

He tells of how he came to the village together with his sister years ago when they were merely teenagers, and was quickly singled out to be a recruiter. For years he’s been transferring girls who come willingly to the village, but Claudia was a “glitch” that was not supposed to happen. Peter asked him but he didn’t see this coming. He feels awful and wants to repent. 

He offers to help them rescue Claudia. He knows the village very well and can go in and out of there without raising suspicion. He can also guide them to the shortest escape route so they can get out of here alive after the rescue, they won’t make it without him.... If anyone in the village will find out they’ll kill him, but he’s willing to take that chance, he owes it to Claudia.

Nick and Shena have a hard time trusting him, but due to lack of any better option decide to go with his plan and accept his help. 

Leo: “You’ll be freezing out here. I’ll go get some food and warm clothes for you guys, and then we’ll figure out how to sneak you into the village”. 

Leo goes down towards the village. Nick and Shena wait it out, sharing a sleeping bag as cover over them as they sit close behind a big rock. 

Shena: “I don’t trust him.”

Nick: “He had his chance to get me, but didn’t. At this point we have no choice. I believe him.”

Shena changes the mood: “wouldn't it be great if we could have a fresh start after all this. Erase and rewind”. Nick agrees with a smile. It is becoming a romantic moment between the two, a momentary release after a few days of great intensity. 

Suddenly a flashlight approaches coming up the hill. The two tense up. It’s getting closer, and we see Leo. He’s carrying a bag on his shoulder. 

“You see”, Nick says, pleased with himself. “I’ve got good gut instincts when it comes to people.”

With that, a few more flashlights appear coming up the hill. Then two more. And dog barks. It’s a trap..

Nick and Shena jump up in surprise, panicking. 

6 blond Aryans are advancing, some with Dogs at their heels, shouting in German - and can’t see Nick and Shena yet.

“Run”, Nick tells Shena, ”go get us some help!” 

And with that he moves out from behind the rock and starts advancing towards the group with his one good hand raised up in the air. Shouts in German. Shena is running away, towards the hillside, and away from anyone's view.

The dogs bark frantically and the guys shout for him to get to the ground. Nick does as he told, lies there terrified. 

“where’s the woman? There was a woman with him!” Leo starts shooting orders to the guys around him. Thomas and two others release the dogs and follow them running up the hill, as they sniff the ground tracing the smell of the escaping Shena.

Shena is running frantically. It’s dark, other than the moon’s faint light, and she’s not sure where she’s going, but can hear dog barks closing up on her. A terrifying scene, where one of the dogs gets dangerously close to her. She hides behind a rock, on the corner of this edgy road, with a big drop down the side of the mountain. Suddenly she realizes she’s cornered. Nowhere to go from here, a huge dog is advancing quickly towards her. At a split second, as the dog takes the turn towards her, she manages to instinctively kick him at his side, and the dog goes flying down the mountain. 

Some more tense moments as the rest of the group is looking for her in other areas of the valley, and give up on the search after some time. Shela is safe for now.

Back up the hill, Nick is being walked towards the village. Entering its premise Nick is placed in a small room near the entrance, and Leo goes up the stairs towards the High Priest Courts and asks to see him urgently.

(It is now 1am on Saturday)

Leo is being walked to a lower part of the courts, containing hot pools and tropical vegetation. The High Priest is in the midst of enjoying a sexual performance by Erica and two other girls from his “personal army”. He is annoyed at the request to see Leo urgently. Leo insists it's important and Peter reluctantly agrees. 

Leo: “We’ve captured a western guy hanging around suspiciously outside our village.” 

Peter: “Who is he?”

Leo: “Not sure, just a backpacker.”

Peter: “well that's not good.”

Leo:  “there was a lady with him. But she escaped”

Peter: “That is not good either. They are related. She ran. Will go raise hell down in Rishikesh claiming her companion was taken. Not good. Give him a good scare so he never comes back, and send him back down tomorrow blindfolded. We don’t need any outside distractions, especially now”.

Leo goes back to the hut where Nick is being held: “The High Priest orders are to give you a good scare so you never come back.” Nick is not sure what to make of this, and Leo asks everyone to leave the room. 

Thomas (the guy we met before in the Mushroom picking scene and the chase after Shena) confronts Leo about leaving the room. After an argument he leaves.

Nick’s screams can be heard well into the village.

(Saturday, dawn)

At dawn, still semi-drugged and without sleep, and after another horrific puking session, Claudia tries to call her mom again. No reception. She looks out the window and sees the offices in the distance. She remembers Leo telling her of the working phone lines there. She simply opens the wooden door of her hut and walks outside. No one around. She starts walking, slowly, unsure.

Arriving at the offices, the door is locked. Claudia picks up a nearby rock and breaks it.

Inside, a simple room with some light Nazi memorbilia on the wall, leading to another one that has a desk, computer screen and phone.

Claudia, sweaty and confused, walks to the desk. The computer needs a password so she can’t use it. She picks up the phone, the line is working, she calls her mom’s number.

Suddenly noises from the outside, voices getting closer.

Claudia is silently crying of stress and fear - the phone line is ringing, 

Voices getting closer, they’ve entered the first office and are just steps away 

Mom picks up and says “hello” just as Claudia has to leave the room through a back door before getting caught.

Thomas and a friend storm in, confused. “What’s happened here??!”

Claudia, just outside the back of the office, manages to hide behind a bush a second before Thomas opens the back door trying to figure out what's going on. He takes a step out, standing literally above Claudia, who is about to burst out of fear. As he is about to take one step further he is called in by his buddy in the office. He turns around and goes inside. 

Claudia, lying on the floor, sweating, realises her best next option now is to escape the village. She stands up not exactly sure what’s the best way towards the gate, but just goes. Maybe if she keeps her head down no one will notice. 

She keeps advancing through the village, and seems to be getting closer to the gate. A young girl suddenly walks by her. Suspicious looks, she seems to slow down, but then keeps moving, not minding Claudia. Just a few more steps and she’s at the gate. Claudia’s heart is pounding. She keeps advancing slowly, head down, hoping to not be noticed. She reaches the gate, and pushes it open (a small pedestrian door as a part of the bigger gate). No one seems to notice.

She keeps walking. 5 steps, 10 steps, suddenly - a big beam of light goes on, pointing right at her. 

Claudia freezes. Tears running down her chicks and shaking. She begins mumbling - as if to herself -  “Let me go… let me go…” and starts taking baby steps forward. With every step she gets louder, “Let me go! LET ME GO!!” with every step another light goes on, shining on her.

It is an apocalyptic sight… middle of the valley, top of the Himalayas, the skies are still dark but starting to change, Claudia seems like a little dot, advancing in small baby steps, followed by beams of light. Another one, then another one.

Peter at the High Priest’s huge and impressive bedroom (decorated with the world’s greatest stolen art pieces) is still in his night robe, feeding bloody chunks of raw meat to his impressive fish tank full of rare meat eating tropical fish. The water is rumbling with excitement as the fish almost rip each other’s heads off fighting for the meat, which seems to really entertain Peter.  

Claudia is being brought to him, she’s disoriented and shivering from fear. She is led by Erica, who seems to really dislike Claudia for all the attention she’s been getting from Peter. Erica is pleased that Claudia got caught trying to escape - this will surely be the end of that problem.

Peter is also clearly pleased, having Claudia in his bedroom. He acknowledges that she arrived at this place not truly knowing what it is, nevertheless once in she cannot leave unless fulfilling the prophecy: you leave as a pregnant believer or not leave at all.

He explains that this place is so remote, so secret, and so well protected by the authorities that no one will ever find her, and it's for her own good if she lets go of any such hopes.

Claudia is at a real breaking point, starting to realize that this nightmare might never end.

“However”, Peter raises his voice, “you and I are in a more similar situation than you think. We both stand at a crucial intersection of the greatest two conflicts that exist in any noble human being. The will to live verses will power.”

Peter continues to explain his offer to Claudia as he’s overlooking the entire village from his room balcony just as the sun comes up. (with some contempt and urgency): “As tradition will have it, assuming my very latest alterations to the rules, today is your wedding day. Before the sun sets you’ll be asked to choose 5 of our best priests and fulfil your divine destiny to impregnate, right then and there!”

Claudia, remembering the dark sexual ritual she witnessed a day earlier, starts sobbing uncontrollably. 

Peter continues: “You see, I’ve been willingly serving the Order my entire life, since birth really, and fathered - God knows - probably tens of children. But they’re all gone, away from me. I don’t know them, how they smell, what they’re like, and they don’t know me... And now - as observed by our order for thousands of years - I’m too old to be allowed to procreate. Me - too old - could you imagine?! (looking at his own reflection in the window, admiring his own physic) And that really breaks my heart. Just one final human creation that I’d get to keep… The greatest sin longed for by the Highest Priest - the classic tragedy - yet that’s all I’ve dreamed to have over the past decade, and believe me I looked! Through each and every new comer, but couldn’t find a worthy vessel… (softening up) until I got that picture from Leo… it all changed the minute I saw you!! (remenisant) You don’t even know the half of it, but what does it matter… you’re finally here! (loud, with a warm satisfied smile)…. and you don't want to be there! (mockingly pointing down at the village, viewed from his bedroom balcony).

With that I think we can help each other. If you're willing to break your rules, I will break mine:  stay here, bear my child, and I’ll take care of you as my queen. No one else will touch you. Damnit, they won’t even be allowed to look at you!! Together we will raise the greatest Aryan leader the world has ever known! “

Claudia looks lost and sickened by what she hears… 

Peter, with a softer voice: “If not that - it’s life down at the village... The choice is yours of course, but you’ve got till noon to decide - marry them, or marry me.”

(Saturday Morning)

Leo walks into the room where Nick is held, and apparently tortured, since late last night. Upon seeing him Nick, feet in chains, sleepy and hurting - tenses up. 

Leo  - to the guards in German - “Release the chains, I’m taking him down the mountain, High Priest orders.”

Nick is not sure what is being said, but is being released and carried out (legs chained) by Leo, his face sealed.

Thomas is trailing them.

Claudia is being walked back to her room by Erica and others. She is devastated. 

It's a near miss between father and daughter - each being walked by an aryan guard (Nick by Leo, Claudia by Erica) on the same path, going in opposite directions. They do not see each other.

Nick is being led by Leo. Approaching the gate Leo suddenly pushes him to a side ally, and whispers: “here - wear this - let me take you to Claudia”. He hands him a set of local clothes and then kneels to unlock Nick’s foot chains. Nick is in on it. Apparently last night, when everyone thought Leo was torturing Nick - it was all an act. Leo filled him in about how he had to get him into the village somehow - and that’s the best way he could come up with (bringing him in as a prisoner). 

Now that Nick is free from his chains, they are about to go find Claudia, but not before punching Leo straight up on his nose, as a payback for not telling him about the plan to begin with, and bringing him-in so violently like that last night. For a minute it looks like Leo is going to take this the wrong way but he accepts this with understanding and a wink. The two carry on.

Erica pushes Claudia into her room with contempt, and shuts the door. Claudia is lost and seems to sink deeper and deeper into despair. The door opens, Maria walks into her room and sits down next to her. Claudia reacts in fear, like a wounded animal, slides to the very edge of the bed. For a long minute Maria doesn't move, or talk, scary… A few silent moments later she opens her mouth and says (in German) “my name is Maria, my brother Leo sent me”.

These are the first words Claudia hears from anyone in the village other than Peter’s in two days. She’s dazed, not sure she heard right, but the thought that this girl is Leo’s sister somehow comforts her.

Nick is now dressed in local clothes, and wears a funny looking traditional hat to cover his not so Aryan features, and a type of colorful rug thrown over his shoulder to hide his bandaged arm. 

He is following Leo as they cautiously advance through the village towards finding Claudia. 

Thomas is still trailing them behind but they do not notice.

After a while following them, Thomas suddenly diverts towards the offices, where we can see some of his friends hanging out. He calls on one of them with some urgency (in German): “Sound the alarm!”. The guys turn to him - can’t hear what he says. “What?”

He then starts walking more hastly towards them, shouting “Sound the Alarm!”

At that very second Leo diverts his friends’ attention from the back of the office, “Hey guys!” - They all turn towards him as he proceeds to tell them a hilarious joke at the top of his lungs. At that very second they all turned to Leo and a big rock hit Thomas in the back of the head. He falls to the ground. Nick standing behind him, terrified. First time he’s ever killed a man… Apparently they did know he was trailing behind them. 

Using his good arm Nick drags Thomas into a small drench nearby, and covers it with some dry grass.

(Saturday noon)

By noon Maria delivers a message to the High Priest that Claudia has agreed to his proposal. Bells ring throughout the village. A major village celebration is announced for today at 4PM.

Claudia- is being prepped for the wedding ceremony by a group of girls following Erica’s orders. Erica is clearly not happy with this, and seems to take it all out on poor Claudia.

Claudia is taken towards the chapel. She is given more drugged water to drink, but with the help of Maria is able to fool her preppers that she drank it, when in fact she doesn't.

The village is humming with excitement - everyone dressed in their special ritual close. This is very exciting for the entire village - such ceremonies are usually a big party mixture of drugs, dancing, music and sex!

Peter is getting ready and seems very very excited singing along to his favourite German Techno music. He is preparing the traditional ceremonial drink containing mushrooms and other mind altering drugs - and then consumes his portion from a special holy cup towards the upcoming ceremony. The entire village will soon get on this very same drug mix.

Claudia is kept in a side hall just next to Peter’s compound, near the stage. With Maria’s help, Nick and Leo manage to sneak in and meet Claudia for a brief second. It is painfully clear that Claudia has been drugged and frightened over the past 24 hours. She is in a delicate mental state. The reunion with her father is emotional for everyone, but there is no time.

“Don’t worry, daddy is here now, everything will be ok… I can’t stay right now but I’ll be watching you at all times and come get you as soon as I’m able”!

Nick says it, but not sure he believes his own words. Claudia notices - Nick is injured and just as afraid as her…. 

They depart with fearful eyes, after this too short of a meeting.