Silence by Gregg Holtgrewe & Alex Miller

Based on a story by Gregg Holtgrewe

FADE IN: EXT. HAVEN - DAY Snow falls lightly to the ground. A BUS drives past a sign: HAVEN, MN. POP: 333. Cars drive slowly along the one, main road of this small, Minnesota town. A rusty, beat-up blue sedan pulls in front of an old, brick office building. INT. OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER ADVERTISING ACCOLADES and other CERTIFICATES cover the walls. PETER LANGSETH, late 30's, greying black hair and thick beard, sits in a chair across from MR. BENNETT, mid-50s, crew-cut hair, clean shaven. MR. BENNETT Says here you're a writer. You write for TV or plays or -Novels. PETER

MR. BENNETT Thats real neat. Looks like you even had some success. PETER My debut, yeah. Not as much success as you though. Peter motions toward the various accolades. Mr. Bennett CHUCKLES, Peter relaxes. MR. BENNETT Youre a hoot, thats great. To be honest, Im only taking this meeting as a favor to David. With the economy the way it is and that whole health-insurance debacle, a new copywriter is not necessarily what I need. PETER I think Im worth it. Ive got the writing skills you need. (CONTINUED)

2. CONTINUED: MR. BENNETT What is it? You looking for inspiration? PETER No, just...Look, Ive got a great imagination and you can count on it day in and day out. MR. BENNETT Im worried this is a passing thing, its not permanent. PETER Id be lying if I said I wanted a job in a cubicle. But between us, my wife and I are having some financial -MR. BENNETT If it makes you feel any better I'd kind of like to be in your position. Writing sounds exciting. Mr. Bennett stands, reaching out his hand for a shake. MR. BENNETT (CONT'D) Good luck Peter. PETER So I didnt get it? MR. BENNETT Youve got a hell of a sense of humor, Ill tell you that. Maybe well need some help down the road. In the meantime, good luck with everything. EXT. MR. BENNETTS OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER Peter gets into his sedan, the ENGINE struggling to start. INT. PETERS SEDAN Peter slams his hand onto the steering wheel. He turns the keys again, the ENGINE starts. He drives away.

3. EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - MOMENTS LATER Peters sedan cuts through the thick snow. INT. PETERS SEDAN Peter struggles to see through the blowing snow as the sedan makes a ROUGH sound. He tosses his cigarette out the window when the sedan DIES. Whoa. PETER

Peter puts it in neutral, starts the ENGINE, continues driving. The car shuts down again. EXT. COUNTRY ROAD The sedans hazard lights come on as he pulls over. Peter steps out, the snow blowing hard across his face. He pushes the sedan along the snow-packed road. EXT. LANGSETH FARM - DUSK A large, aging farmhouse rests on a small parcel of land. A barn doubling as a garage sits off to the side. Peter struggles to catch his BREATH as he pushes the sedan into the barn. INT. LANGSETH FARM LIVING ROOM Peter enters, STOMPING the snow from his boots, BREATHING heavily. LILLY LANGSETH, early 30s, petite, wrapped in a sweater, cleans out a fireplace. She turns to Peter. LILLY What happened to you? PETER Car shit out again, had to push the damn thing.

(CONTINUED)

4. CONTINUED: LILLY Oh no, Im sorry. You want something hot to drink? Peter enters theKITCHEN He grabs a glass of water, slams it. PETER Im good. I gotta get at the car while Im still cold. LILLY Howd everything go at the interview? PETER Not bad. Said hed let me know next week. LILLY Well, thats good news. Peter exits into theLIVING ROOM PETER Couldve been better. LILLY You want me to ask David to look at the car? PETER The guys around enough. I said Id do it. INT. BARN - MOMENTS LATER The blue sedan, hood open, sits in the middle of the barn. Peter, hunched over the engine, works a ratchet as a space heater keeps him warm. CLINK! Fuck! PETER (CONTINUED)

5. CONTINUED: Peter DROPS the ratchet, shaking out his hand in pain. He looks at the blood seeping from his cut knuckle. A cell-phone sitting on a tool bench BUZZES. He looks: JAY REEDER CALLING. He silences the phone. INT. LANGSETH FARM LIVING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER Peter enters, bee-lining for theKITCHEN A stack of bills pour over the table. Peter steps to the sink, rinsing the blood from his cut. PETER We have a first-aid kit? LILLY (O.S.) Upstairs in the bathroom. You okay? Fine. LIVING ROOM Lilly stands, wiping the dust off of herself as Peter enters, shivering. Damn. PETER PETER

LILLY Itll be like this until the chimneys fixed. PETER Ill get it done. LILLY So youve said. Any luck with the car? Its coming. PETER

LILLY Its not the best idea but we could always put it on the credit card. (CONTINUED)

6. CONTINUED: PETER Ill take care of it! Peter heads upstairs. LILLY Have you heard from Jay? Not yet. BATHROOM - MOMENTS LATER Peter sets his cell phone down on the toilet, listening to a voice-mail. PHONE VOICE (speakerphone) You have one new message. New message. Peter takes out a band-aid from the first-aid kit, placing it on his wound. JAY REEDER (speakerphone) Hey Peter it's Jay. Look, these guys are breathing down my neck. You told me youd have a manuscript months ago. Lilly can be heard WALKING up the stairs. Peter closes the door to the bathroom. JAY REEDER (CONTD) (speakerphone) I cant get you the advance until theyve seen something. I'm sure you understand. Give me a call and well talk about -Peter hangs up. He tosses the band-aid wrapper in the garbage, pauses, reaches into the trash bin taking out a pregnancy test. He checks the results: INCONCLUSIVE. BEDROOM Lilly puts on her nightgown. Peter steps to the doorway. PETER

(CONTINUED)

7. CONTINUED: PETER Were you going to tell me about this? Lilly looks in the mirror at Peter holding the pregnancy test. LILLY Nothing to tell, it was negative. PETER I have a couple friends in Minneapolis who know a great fertility specialist. LILLY Well look into it. PETER I still want to. I know Peter. LILLY

Lilly throws on a sweater. EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - NIGHT Snow falls heavily. A COUNTY WORKER closes a gate across a snow-covered road before getting into an IDLING plow. The gate reads: ROAD CLOSED. EXT. FETTERSON BANK A single streetlight along the main road shines on Fetterson Bank. GUNSHOTS can be heard, followed by the sound of an ENGINE roaring. A beige pickup bursts through a snow drift, turning onto the road, ACCELERATING. Losing control, it fish-tails, slamming into the streetlight which BURSTS. Darkness. INT. TRUCK GRADY, wearing a green ski-mask, TURNS the key... Nothing. (CONTINUED)

8. CONTINUED: He turns it again... Nothing. The faint sound of a SNOWMOBILE can be heard. Grady looks up, unable to see through the fogged-over windows. He glances at the bag of money and pistol on the passengers seat. OUTSIDE ORANGE, wearing an orange ski-mask, creeps toward the drivers side, pistol drawn. He steps to the door, pops it open, aiming into the cab... Empty. Grady, hunkered down next to the passenger side, watches under the truck as Orange steps to the rear. Orange reaches the rear... Nothing. He peaks around to the passenger's side... Nothing. Orange gets down, peering under the truck when the snowmobile GROWLS to life. He jumps up, sees the snowmobile racing away and FIRES multiple shots. Grady grabs his arm, nearly losing control. The duffel bag slips off his shoulder momentarily, a couple bundles of money flying out. Bullets PUNCTURE the snowmobiles gas tank as Grady ROARS toward the forest, unaware of the gas leaking out. Orange sees the money sitting on the ground, grabs it as a pair of headlights approach through the snow, slowing as Orange steps forward, waving his arms. He raises a flashlight toward the driver. INT. TRUCK A LANKY MAN, 28, half-drunk, squints, shielding his eyes as he rolls down the drivers side window. LANKY MAN Looks like youre in a heckuva mess. A bullet rips through his throat, SHATTERING the back window. (CONTINUED)

9. CONTINUED: He grips the wound, blood seeping through his fingers as Orange enters the truck, pushing him to the passengers seat. Orange dials his cellphone. INT. JERRY NELSONS HOUSE JERRY NELSON, 50s, scruffy and dirty, sits on his couch, passed out. A JERRYS TOWING jacket keeps him warm as a burning cigarette hangs from his lips. A TELEVISION plays informercials. A three-quarters empty bottle of whiskey sits on the table. A phone RINGS. Jerry shoots awake, quickly answering. JERRY NELSON (into phone) Jerry here. ORANGE (from phone) I need you to go to the bank and get that damn truck outta there. JERRY NELSON (into phone) Oh yeah, yeah, of course. Im leaving right now. ORANGE (from phone) Right now! JERRY NELSON (into phone) Okay, okay. Right now. Jerry hangs up the phone, takes a drag of his cigarette, drops his head back, passing out. INT. LANKY MANS TRUCK Orange peers out the windshield, searching through the blowing snow, unknowingly passing by the snowmobile tracks. EXT. FOREST Grady races down a trail, glancing back over his shoulder. He turns into a forest, disappearing.

10. INT. FOREST Grady comes upon a distant clearing when the snowmobile PUTTERS to a stop. He looks at the needle sitting on EMPTY. He gets off, checks his phone, finding the coordinates. He immediately snaps off tree branches, covering the snowmobile. In the distance a faint light can be seen behind the blowing snow. He trudges forward. EXT. LANGSETH FARM - MOMENTS LATER Grady, favoring his left arm, arrives outside the Langseth Farm, crouched over, BREATHING heavily. A light clicks on in the basement. He looks through the window. BASEMENT An antique lamp illuminates a converted office space in a half-done basement. Peter, wearing a hooded, zip-up sweatshirt, steps out of the shadows, cigarette in hand. His deep-set eyes stare at a blank computer screen. He sits down, presses out his cigarette in an overflowing ash-tray and scratches at his beard. OUTSIDE Grady hears a noise from the kitchen, looks in. Lilly stands at the sink, finishing the dishes. Grady listens in on their conversation as Peter comes up from the basement. LILLY (from inside) Can you rinse out your milk glass when youre done? It sticks to the bottom. PETER (from inside) Yeah, sorry. Lilly shoves a dish in the drying rack. (CONTINUED)

11. CONTINUED: Peter steps behind Lilly, kissing her neck. LILLY (from inside) I still need that two-hundred dollars for the credit card payment. PETER (from inside) Im aware of that. LILLY (from inside) Because we need to send that soon. PETER (from inside) I know Lilly. Im working on it! What the hell do you think I was doing today? I dont think volunteering at church is bringing in any money. LILLY (from inside) You smell like smoke. Peter backs up. A NOISE outside. He steps to the window, looking out at the storm. INT. BARN - MOMENTS LATER Grady enters, still favoring his injured arm. He pulls off his ski mask, revealing his slightly gaunt face, patchy beard and long, dark blonde hair. He looks at the rusty, blue sedan, hood still open. INT. PETERS SEDAN Grady slides in, checks the ignition, the keys dangling. He turns the keys... Nothing. He tries again... Nothing. BARN The trunk POPS open. Grady steps out, searches it. He grabs a blanket, shuts the trunk. He looks around the barn, spots an old lawn-mower in the back next to various garden tools: hoes, rakes, etc. (CONTINUED)

12. CONTINUED: On the ground, an old, rusty gas can sits behind a coiled garden hose. Grady grabs the can, shakes it... Empty. He uses the hoe to cut through the hose. He UNSCREWS the gas cap to the sedan, sticking the hose into the gas tank. He places the other end of the hose in his mouth, sucking in repeatedly until the gas flows. Grady puts the end of the hose into the gas can. The bottom of the can gives out, pouring all of the gas onto the barn floor. He looks underneath the can, sees the rusted out hole. He grabs the blanket before struggling to climb the ladder to theLOFT He sets his duffel bag to the side, tearing off a piece of the blanket, using it as an arm sling. INT. LANKY MANS TRUCK Orange stares out the window, following the snowmobile path along the side. A moment later the tracks stop. Orange slams on the brakes, backs up next to a sign which reads: DEER XING NEXT 8 MILES. He stares into the woods. EXT. TRUCK Orange steps out, approaching the forest. He takes out a pair of binoculars, unable to see through the thick snow. EXT. WOODED AREA - MOMENTS LATER Lanky mans truck sits parked, secluded. The ENGINE cuts off. INSIDE Orange grabs the three bundles of cash, places them into lanky mans jacket pocket. He takes his pistol out, puts it in lanky mans hand.

13. OUTSIDE Oranges takes a bottle of lighter fluid from his duffel bag, douses the inside of the truck. He lights a handkerchief on fire, tossing it into the truck, IGNITING it. He walks away as it burns.