CLOSE ON moss covered ropes, swaying uneasily under the weight of... something. CREAK, CREAK. Jungle birds CHIRP and SCREECH. JAMIE (PRE-LAP): We can fix this. We are... EXT. JUNGLE CANOPY BRIDGE - TWILIGHT JAMIE and his identical twin brother, FORD, traverse the protesting canopy bridge slowly. Ford comes first, as the older twin always does. It is only wide enough to admit them single file. Ford stares ahead, steely in his resolve. Jamie behind him, more unsure, unsteady, frequently grabs onto his brother’s shoulder. JAMIE: This won’t change anything. FORD: It changes everything. JAMIE: He will follow you. Ford turns on his brother suddenly, the bridge GROANING under the movement. FORD: How will he know where I am? Unless you tell him. JAMIE: You know he’ll tortur-- FORD: (interrupting) Come with me then. JAMIE: I can’t. Please. Ford ignores his brother’s plea and walks down the sagging bridge. Jamie watches him go, agony twisting his sweaty face. Ford reaches the midpoint of the bridge and ZAP, an electrical sound in the air and FORD IS GONE. Jamie runs a hand from his hairline down to his chin, wiping it all away. Then he turns and runs back the way he came, as fast as the bridge will allow. EXT. CANOPY BRIDGE - THE OTHER SIDE - TWILIGHT We are with Ford now, on THE OTHER SIDE, as he looks back across the bridge. But it is not the rickety canopy bridge that he and Jamie stood on. It is a wide, tensile STEEL BRIDGE, metal gleaming, the encroaching jungle groomed back. A man on a slick motorcycle, dressed in black body armor and helmet with tinted visor zooms onto the bridge toward Ford, VROOOOM! Ford jumps out of the way as the bike swerves around him. He takes off running after the bike, where the paved road curves into the jungle ahead. But this jungle is strange, the flowers bright and colorful and huge, like nothing we’ve ever seen. The SCREECH of birds is there, but it is LOUDER, an insistent cacophony. Insects the size of birds BUZZ in and out of the foliage. Ford bounds into the thick of it. Safe for now.

Two sets of bare feet belonging to a pair of young girls dangle against a blue sky. Tilt up to reveal the two girls in matching Catholic school jumpers. They sit on the steel support structure under a double decker freeway bridge over the Willamette River. Abby, 12, with a densely freckled face, jet black hair, and haunting blue eyes stares confidently at the city skyline. The other, Cassidy, also 12, her blond hair cut in a boyish bob, grips the support beam tightly. The sound of traffic rhythmically beats on the segmented pavement over their heads Cassidy: How high is it? Abby: A hundred and seventy-five feet. From this height, it’s like hitting concrete. Cassidy seems nervous, Abby, matter-of-fact. Cassidy: Won’t it hurt? Abby just shrugs her shoulders. Abby: Don’t know. I’ve never hit the water. Cassidy tightens her grip on the large metal I-beam and leans over to look down. Cassidy: Are you sure it will work? Abby: I’ve done it like seven times. Cassidy looks at Abby, fear on her pale face as she takes quick shallow breaths. Cassidy: What if it only works for you? Abby reassures her with those deep blue eyes and her otherworldly calmness. Abby: It will work. This is the exact spot. She points to an X scrawled in pink chalk on a beam above their heads. Abby: I tested it with a bunch of cafeteria chairs. I tested it with my bike… I even tested it with Charley. Cassidy: But he’s a dog. Abby: Aren’t you tired of always being afraid? Cassidy nods while biting her bottom lip. Abby: After you do this, you’ll never be afraid again. Abby pries Cassidy’s hand from the I-beam and grips it in hers. Abby’s face widens into a huge smile. Cassidy just looks down and then back to Abby, still unsure about jumping from a bridge. Abby: Let’s go. They slide off the I-beam and hurtle toward a glistening river. Cassidy screams, Abby laughs. Just before hitting water, they disappear completely.

EXT. TOP LEVEL BRIDGE – DAY One half of a swing bridge protrudes into empty blue sky. JOANNE sits on the edge. ZHANG LIU sits down beside her. Swings his legs in the empty air. ZHANG LIU: Long way down. Joanne looks down. Level after level of metal framework – the skeleton of some vast building. Jutting girders, buttresses, supports on a gigantic scale. It’s thousands of feet down even to cloud level. The drop to ground level is unimaginable. JOANNE: And it would have worked? An elevator to the stars? ZHANG LIU: To orbit. Saves fuel. Then ships to the stars. JOANNE: It’s crazy. ZHANG LIU: No. Good science. JOANNE: And now look at it. No use at all. ZHANG LIU: It has use. It’s a test. Joanne looks down. The drop’s so enormous it’s impossible to be scared. It’s impossible to even take it in. She stands up. JOANNE: On three? ZHANG LIU: Sure. (counting in Cantonese) Yee. Uhr. Sahn! Moving as one, they step off into the void.

Interesting. Why won't Jamie go with him? Always fascinating when people won't take what seems to be the obvious option, especially when they (apparently) choose to suffer... Nice work!

Aha, my thought exactly: in fiction, bridges are for jumping off! :) Interesting hints in the conversation, and lovely reveal at the end that they're not going to hit the water...

EXT. WAR-TORN BRIDGE - NIGHT Lieutenant KANE (20) sits brooding beside Chief Warrant Officer LUX (26) on the center edge, staring down at the motionless titan standing on the cracked riverbed far below in the light of three different-phase moons. LUX The river used to be beautiful. The locals say. (beat) Kane, I -- She listens to the voice in her earpiece and glances at the two mechs -- forty foot tall humanoid tanks -- kneeling at each end of the bridge, weapons raised, being inspected by their four-soldier crews. One mech faces the ghost city behind, the other the dark jungle ahead. LUX (CONT'D) (into earpiece) Roger. (to Kane) We need to move. Kane remains still. LUX (CONT'D) We have far to go and little time. KANE (beat) Do you think he felt it? LUX No. KANE Are you sure? LUX (beat) No. KANE He was our best. They were our best. And now look at them. This place... That's our future down there -- LUX Stop it. KANE I'm just -- LUX We don't have time for this. KANE He's dead and you don't even care -- LUX Fuck you. He may be your brother by blood, but he's mine by fire. KANE We're all dead. You know that. LUX Not yet. KANE Alone, outnumbered, and outgunned deep behind enemy lines... Lux forces a grenade into Kane's grip. LUX Join him. If it's so helpless, if we're so fucked, join him. (beat) Or take command. Like he wanted. Like we need. Kane slowly stands and pulls the pin from the grenade. He steps to the edge. Lux watches with bated breath. Kane drops the grenade. It falls, igniting into a searing ball of plasma. It lands on the shoulder of the standing mech and begins to melt the titan. Another grenade follows. And another. The plasma fire spreads. KANE (V.O.) Mount up. We move in five. Molten metal drips onto the broken corpses in the shattered cockpit. LUX (V.O.) Yes, sir. Kane turns from the blaze and watches Lux run toward her mech. One last glance below, and he runs toward his. The mechs on the bridge rise and stalk into the jungle as the mech below burns.

EXT. SOUTH TOWER, GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE - DAY Pete and Sully climb from the main cable back onto the tower, brushes and pails of red paint in hand. Behind them, we see dark storm clouds gather on the horizon. Almost feel the malevolence. Pete clamps his hand onto his head to stop the gusting wind from stealing his hard hat. PETE: We'd better get going... don't want to get caught. Sully points to a lunch pail with a NY Yankees sticker on the side, resting 20 ft away. SULLY: Don't forget your lunch. PETE: (shaking his head) Shit, how did it get over there? As Pete steps over to retrieve it, Sully's already at the elevator. He gets in, closes the safety grill, locks it from the inside. Pete turns around, smiles until he realizes this isn't a joke. He grabs the door handle, but it won't yield. PETE: What are you doing? This isn't funny, Sully. Sully glares grimly, almost hatefully at Pete. SULLY: If it was up to me, I'd just push you off. But Billy wants to give you time to make your peace with the Lord. Pete's face says it all: busted and fucked. SULLY: He'd forgive you if it was just about you screwing his wife... I mean, women can be so fucking indecisive at times... you know? PETE: I'm sorry-- SULLY: --but you ratted him out. And good people have been killed because of this mess you started... Good people. PETE: I didn't have a choice. SULLY: Well, Billy's giving you a choice, right now. Because even if you make it off here, you ain't making it. Understand? Beat as Pete comes to terms with his fate. PETE: Do me one last favor, will you? Tell Kathy I love her. SULLY: I'll tell her you said goodbye. Elevator lumbers into action, Sully disappearing from sight as it descends. Wind starts to rise. Rain splashes off Pete's hard hat as he looks over the railing and the long drop to the bay below.

Might say something about my mental state that the first thing I thought of was jumping off. Thanks for the kind comments. I like the imagery you came up with in your take.

EXT. BRIDGE - MIDNIGHT A chilly October night with ominous dark clouds. Music sounds in the distance. A man i a party suit sits on the edge of a bridge, staring into the dark water. ANDY, best friend, walks along holding two beers. ANDY: hey dude, the party is over there (showing in the other direction) Michael lifts his head to see Andy, slightly drunk. Andy hands him a beer. ANDY: cheers MICHAEL swallows his beer in one gulp, tosses the bottle in the dark, cold river. He shivers. ANDY: Everybody is looking for you MICHAEL: Yeah ANDY: What’s going on? ANDY climbs onto the edge, slips nearly into the water if it wasn’t for MICHAEL to hold him firm. MICHAEL: watch it bro ANDY: ( pointing out to the sky ) no moon MICHAEL : rain is coming ANDY: never thought you would return. Why? MICHAEL: it happened so ANDY throws his beer bottle into the water, gets up. ANDY: let me get you some beer. Get loose for the dance Shakes his butt and walks away MICHAEL gazes at the sky, his mind somewhere else. A woman in a white bridal gown emerges from the dark, steps closer. MARIA: Michael…..the guest are waiting for the cake MICHAEL turns his head. Her eyes brim with tears. SILENCE seems to last forever, cracking her dream with every second passing by. Light rain starts falling. MICHAEL gets off the edge, not sure which way to turn. She holds her breath.

Here's hoping I didn't screw this up somehow, and I didn't read any of the other stories yet so any plagiarism is accidental. EXT. OLD WOODEN BRIDGE – DAY BETHANY is sitting on the edge of the bridge, looking down. PATRICIA walks up to her. PATRICIA: You shouldn’t be out here, you know. BETHANY: Neither should you, then. PATRICIA: I’m only out here because I was looking for you. BETHANY: Well you found me. PATRICIA: I’m being serious, Beth! It’s not safe out here, not with, you know, that guy running around. BETHANY: You mean that big scary Black Creek Stabber? PATRICIA: Yes, I mean the big scary Black Creek Stabber. Now come on. BETHANY: He doesn’t scare me. PATRICIA: I know, I know. You’re Fearless Beth. You don’t have to prove anything to me or anyone else. But this isn’t some tree you want to climb. He’s already killed three people, and- BETHANY: And what? You think I’m gonna be next? Because I’m a girl and I’m alone out here in the woods, nice and pretty and defenseless? This isn’t a horror movie. PATRICIA: What are you even talking about? You were all alone out here, and that makes you an easier target than someone who isn’t. That’s just common sense. BETHANY: Whatever. PATRICIA: Look, I know you like to pretend that you’re above it all and don’t care about anyone else or what they think, but even if that were true there’s still people who care about you, alright? BETHANY looks up at PATRICIA BETHANY: Alright then, sit down. PATRICIA: What? BETHANY: Sit down. If you don’t want me being alone out here, then sit down with me. Keep an eye out for crazy killers. PATRICIA: Fine. PATRICIA sits down next to BETHANY BETHANY: This bridge isn’t much of a bridge right now. PATRICIA: Huh? BETHANY: The creek’s almost gone. Barely a trickle. And once the water’s all gone, it’s not a bridge anymore. PATRICIA looks down at the creek. PATRICIA: A bridge is still a bridge even if there’s no water. BETHANY: Nope, it’s an overpass. PATRICIA shakes her head and suppresses a laugh PATRICIA: You’re so weird. BETHANY: Why do you think they call him the Black Creek Stabber? PATRICIA: Because he stabs people? BETHANY: And how do they know he’s a he? PATRICIA: I dunno. PATRICIA AND BETHANY stare at the creek for a few seconds. Then, BETHANY quickly pulls a knife from her belt and stabs PATRICIA in the back of her neck. Then with both arms she shoves PATRICIA off of the bridge. BETHANY: Four. BETHANY slowly stands up, walks to the end of the bridge, and down the slope to the creek where PATRICIA is lying. END SCENE

EXT. STONE BRIDGE - MORNING TOMMY and NICK sit on the edge of a bridge looking at train tracks below. They shiver in the morning air. TOMMY Shouldn't have left my jacket in the car. NICK It's not like I didn't warn you enough. What did I say? TOMMY Enough. NICK What was that? Couldn't hear you over your teeth chattering. TOMMY I said enough. ~When's it gonna get here? NICK (checks watch) Any minute now. Tommy looks around impatiently. TOMMY Now? NICK (points at the tracks) Look! Tommy! A train right there! Tommy glares at Nick then shivers again. TOMMY Just anxious is all. NICK I hear you, man. Lotta ties can get severed from this. TOMMY You thinking about Louis again? NICK Nope. Not at all. Just ready to put one foot in front of the other, you know? A train whistle blows in the distance. A pillar of smoke approaches them. They reach behind where they're sitting and pick up grappling equipment. TOMMY Time I put a proper ring on Julie. NICK Only been saying that for, what, six years now? TOMMY Seven and a half. And yes I have but I've got the chance now so I'm takin' it. Watch the grip on that thing. It's a beast. NICK Right. All set? The train is now very close. The whistle blows again and is deafening. TOMMY (yelling) Sure am. You? NICK (yelling) What? TOMMY (yelling) On three, right? Nick points to his ear and shakes his head. He can't hear. The train passes under them. Tommy holds up three fingers. Then two. One. He points at the train. Both men fire their grapple guns at the train and are pulled off the bridge and onto the roof of the next to last car.

FADE IN EXT. SANTA CRUZ, CA: TRESTLE BRIDGE – NIGHT It’s a beautiful clear night. A couple walks carefully on the aged train trestle. In the background there are bright lights from the amusement park. The rides are whirring and people are yelling. The bridge stretches over the beach below, the ocean shines from the moon’s reflection. It’s a very romantic night. The couple sits down on the side of the bridge, their legs hanging over the side. The girl, AMY, pretty with long, almost white-blonde hair and bright green eyes, swings her legs like a child. Her boyfriend, JAKE reaches around her waist to hold on to her. She GIGGLES. She’s dressed for the sun that set hours earlier, in a bikini top, low-rise jeans and bare feet. Jake is dark and smoldering with jet-black hair cut short and spiked. He’s got various parts of his face pierced, and large gauges in his ear lobes. He’s dressed for the cool evening; jeans and black leather jacket over a Clash t-shirt and combat boots. JAKE: You must be freezing. He takes off his jacket and wraps it around her. She moves closer. She snuggles into his chest and then slowly looks up at him as he looks down. Their eyes meet and they slowly kiss. She has a tongue stud. When they pull away Amy smiles coyly and looks up at the sky…something has caught her attention. AMY: Look, I think it’s a falling star. Jake looks toward where she is looking. A bright light streaks across the northeastern sky. It resembles a falling star, but larger. JAKE: Well, make a wish. He stands up and holds out his hand to her. She grasps his hand and stands up beside him looking up at the sky. Their hands remain tightly clasped together as the light gets brighter in the sky. It seems to grow in size as it speeds through the night sky…falling down toward earth. AMY: I don’t think it’s a falling star…maybe a meteor? They stand watching a moment longer. As the object enters the earth’s atmosphere, a large fireball flares out and a loud SIZZLING noise not unlike fireworks is heard. JAKE: What the… (beat) (anxiously) I think we should get outta here! He grabs Amy’s hand and they run away from the light, which is growing, filling the sky. It seems to be on a collision course with the Giant Dipper roller coaster ride that streaks up and down and around. Excited screams come from the people riding it. They seem oblivious to anything other than the twists and turns. JAKE: Run! They head away from the amusement park, but Amy’s foot slips through the boards and she falls down. Her leg goes through the slats. AMY: (screams) Help! Jake stops to help her. He tries to pull her up, but she’s really injured her leg, and it’s wedged in good and tight. Amy begins to panic. Jake tries again, but stops when she yells out in pain. AMY: (yelling in pain) Ow!! A loud rumbling sound grows as it gets closer. Jake lets go of Amy, then tries one more time. Amy tries to help loosen her leg, but it’s not working. A large splinter of the wood post is sticking into her upper thigh; causing blood to spurt each time Jake pulls her. She begins to CRY. Jake panics, looks up at the burning light getting closer, then back at Amy. JAKE: I’m sorry. He turns away from her and starts running. AMY: No! Jake…help me! He ignores her and keeps running, but then stops, turns around and runs back to Amy. All the while the light grows brighter and closer, and the rumbling SOUND grows louder. He reaches her side, wraps his arms around her and she hugs him tightly, SCREAMING. END SCENE

Great job, everyone! I am struck by the different ways you went about approaching this prompt. There's something about bridges, especially putting people on them, almost a built-in subtext or tension because they could always jump... or push... or fall. Several of your scenes went the twist route and to strong effect. I also liked how many of you ended the scene with an uncertain resolve, it looks like something will happen, but you end the scene before playing that out. One thing today's exercise underscores: There are MULTIPLE ways to approach a scene. So if you're writing a scene and it feels flat or off, brainstorm alternate takes. Switch locations. Place it in a spot where, like standing on a bridge, there is a potential for danger. That can definitely add some spice to the scene. Again excellent work! Another prompt tomorrow!

THANK YOU DEBBIE! :-)

I'm an entire day late; this was a HUGE learning opportunity for me to get what I wanted out of the scene yet pare it down to two pages. My personal goal was a late reveal. I didn't discard my first dialog-heavy version as I may yet play with it for other projects. Here's the final 2-page version: http://goo.gl/wWj4rm Thanks, Scott, this was really instructive.

EXT. NATURAL BRIDGE, VA-TWILIGHT In the middle of a peaceful atmosphere, a middle-aged and forlorn MICHAEL, is trapped in the past of beautiful memories while his best friend STEVEN approaches him from behind. STEVEN I knew I'd find you here. MICHAEL (unfazed) Yea well you can go on home and tell everyone the mystery is solved. STEVEN What's the fun in that? Look, I know today is not easy. But it's been a year. MICHAEL Time may say it's been three-hundred and sixty-five days, but for me and the kids, it's still fresh and open. STEVEN That's because you refuse to heal. Mike, the only reason the kids are hurting is because you refuse to let go of the pain. You hold onto it like its a badge of honor and all you're doing is bleeding out! This is no good. MICHAEL ignores him and pulls out his wedding band from his pocket. He stares at it. MICHAEL Do you know why I come here? This very spot, is where I fell in love with her. The very place I could envision a life with a white picket fence, a dog, carpool, becoming a father to our children. I never expected it to end, and I feel cheated! STEVEN Cancer is cruel, Mike. You still have to keep going for your sake, and for the kids! Carol wouldn't want you feeling sorry for yourself and pining away for a life you already lived and deep down you know it. MICHAEL I know what my head is telling me but my heart hasn't caught up yet. (Lifts up his ring) Today is the first day I've taken it off. STEVEN Because its time. MICHAEL grips the ring in his fingers one last time, only to close his eyes and deliberately drops it into the rippling water. STEVEN You did the right thing. MICHAEL Then why does it feel like I betrayed her? STEVEN You need to get away (beat) from this place and just drive somewhere (beat) someplace where you can feel again. June and I will watch the kids, hell they're practically grown already. It's time to take care of you. MICHAEL I need a moment alone. STEVEN Take all the time you need. MICHAEL watches STEVEN walk through a maze of people for a brief moment then turns to gaze at the bridge. He is plagued with memories of her face giggling as he slips the engagement ring onto her finger. MICHAEL (V.O) With this ring, I thee wed. CAROL V.O. For as long as we both shall live. I do (beat) I do (beat) I so do! They kiss passionately but the memory soon fades as MICHAEL alone in his torment surrounded by happy couples, wipes his eyes and walks underneath the bridge.

EXT. STREAM - DAY On one bank, a plethora of leaves, flowers and grass. On the opposite bank, a miniature mountains of rocks. A busted log lies across the stream, untouched by water. LOG A beautifully bright BUTTERFLY's wings shine with bright yellow and crisp orange. The Butterfly patches a small crack in the log with spit, twigs, and grass. A solid maroon ANT sits under the Butterfly's massive wing. ANT They are gonna be mad. My boss will be mad. BUTTERFLY I don't see how improvement can be frowned upon. ANT A) That's hardly improvement. B) It's weird. Why would you fix our bridge. Go fix your own. BUTTERFLY I don't own any bridges. A PAIR OF ANTS scurry by with leaves. They eye the butterfly and draw back. ANT Hey guys, I'm just on my fifteen. Enjoying the view. The ants shuffle backwards and dart for the bank. Butterfly smacks a large stick to compact the spit and grass. ANT Stop that! You're gonna ruin it even more. BUTTERFLY Need thicker grass. Butterfly snaps wings into action, nearly knocking down ant. ANT What the hive?! You can fly with those things. I thought you were just deformed. Ant investigates the spit and grass. A stomp. A smack. Still holding together. MORE ANTS scurry by. ANT Hey, check this out. It's better. The posse of ants ignore and continue. Butterfly screeches in for a landing with multiple arms worth of grass. ANT Hey, buddy. You can go up? Like, in the air? BUTTERFLY Yes. The butterfly neatly plugs the more grass into the log's split. ANT Well, that begs the question, why are you wasting your time fixing this? BUTTERFLY Connecting he past and the future. The butterfly gestures towards the bridge's end. A small caterpillar with similar markings to the butterfly peaks over a leaf. On the opposite bank, GUARD ANTS rush the log. ANT Oh hive! you better run, I mean fly. The butterfly carefully finishes the patch. ANT Thanks for the help. Sorry for being... BUTTERFLY No worries, water under the bridge.