Chenalos presents

A 14 rivers play for the screen

Based upon Puella Magi Madoka Magica

The Magic of Hope

Episode 2: Joy

Chenalos at yahoo

at ChenalosFiction twitter

Suburban household. Predawn. Hector and Judy, a couple in their 40s get into their car. Judy calls for her daughter.

JUDY

Joy! Come on. It's time to go.

JOY

I'm coming. I'm coming.

Joy, still groggy gets into the back seat with her bag and a pillow.

HECTOR

Judy, did you check to make sure I

brought everything?

JUDY

Yes, Hector. It was all

packed last night, so don't be nervous.

HECTOR

I'm not nervous. That's hardly enough

to go a weekend, Joy.

JOY

I have everything I need.

JUDY

All your toiletries?

JOY

Yes. It's four AM. Shut up.

HECTOR

We have to make it to the resort

in time. But don't worry. Just

sleep for the ride.

JUDY

Yeah. It's a long ride, sweetie.

JOY

Thanks dad. Night, mom.

The car pulls out and the family rides off into the rising dawn.

Further down the road the car crosses a van where partiers are crashed out and drinking. There is a cliff on the other side of the road.

HECTOR

Wow. Can you believe that?

JUDY

There was a concert up the road a

little last night. Heard about it

on the news.

HECTOR

Oh, Jesus.

JUDY

Yeah. There could be drunks on the

road. Be careful.

HECTOR

Yeah. I am.

Just up the road there is a car that is swerving coming from the opposite direction.

JUDY

See? That guy's drunk.

HECTOR

I'll slow down, we'll get right

past him.

Another car pulls out and the oncoming car swerves to avoid it, fishtails, and loses control

JUDY

Hector! Look out!

The oncoming car swipes the side of Hector's car and sends it through the guard rail. The car nose-dives down the gorge before tumbling into a horrible wreck.

Joy is laid out bleeding on the face of a rock. She gasps for air, scarcely even aware of what is going on. Arvess appears.

ARVESS

Hello, Joy.

JOY

What happened?

ARVESS

When the car crashed you were thrown

out and landed here.

JOY

Mom. Dad.

ARVESS

They're at the bottom of this gorge.

But their brains have stopped working.

JOY

What?

ARVESS

In a few minutes your brain will stop

working too. Then it will go cold and

your body will deteriorate.

JOY

No.

ARVESS

It's true.

JOY

No.

ARVESS

If you stay the way you are there

is nothing I can do.

JOY

Help.

ARVESS

But you can keep going.

JOY

Help.

ARVESS

Just make a contract with me and

become puella magi.

JOY

Help me.

ARVESS

I'll grant you one wish. Anything

you want. Make a contract with me.

Joy raises her blooded hand off the rock face reaching up to the miniature angel.

JOY

Please help me.

ARVESS

Is that all?

TITLE

JOY

End Teaser. Roll intro.

ACT 1

Winchell airbase. A soldier guards the perimeter. He is stationed at one of the gates and reports back to his booth to do some paperwork. A pair of jets takeoff down the runway. Their roar fades into the distance as the Guard looks up to see a figure in the distance. It is clad in a white cloak, and a wide brim panama hat. The guard goes back to paperwork, only to look up and see that the silhouetted figure has come even closer, and at a surprisingly fast rate, somehow. The shape is stationary and ominous. The guard picks up a wireless comm.

GUARD

Perimeter to base.

COMM
Go ahead.

GUARD

I got a civvy. Range 150 meters East.

COMM

Yeah. We see 'em.

GUARD

Any info on this?

COMM
Probably just a hiker. Might have

come out of the hills. Advise to

clear to Rackeston.

The guard looks away for a moment and when he looks again, the figure is much closer. The guard walks to speaking distance.

GUARD

Civilian, you are within the perimeter

of Winchell Airbase, I've been advised

to direct you to Rackeston. It's a

town five miles down the road going

North.

The figure does not respond.

GUARD (CTD)

Are you in need of water or supplies?

I can arrange for rations or call

a taxi.

The figure is still motionless as a Jet's engine roars overhead

GUARD (CTD)

If you are injured, or in need of

medical assistance please let me

know. Otherwise I am going to ask

you to get on the road.

The figure starts to walk towards the guard.

GUARD (CTD)

The road is to your right please move

in that direction.

Still approaching.

GUARD (CTD)

Please bear right, I am asking you

not to approach the perimeter.

Still approaching.

GUARD (CTD)

Civilian, this is a military facility

you are not permitted entry.

Still approaching.

GUARD (CTD)

I repeat, you are not permitted to

enter this facility. Be on your way.

Still approaching.

GUARD (CTD)

You are behaving in a hostile manner.

I will not hesitate to defend this base.

Still approaching.

GUARD (CTD)

This is your final warning. If you

continue to approach this base I will

detain you.

Still approaching. Guard raises his sidearm.

GUARD (CTD)

Get on the ground. On your knees,

hands up facing me right now. Open

up your poncho.

Still approaching.

GUARD (CTD)

Stand down. You are being placed

under arrest. Lay flat on the

ground right now.

Still approaching.

GUARD (CTD)

One more step and I open fire.

Is that understood?

The figure stops.

GUARD

Get on the ground. Get on the

ground right now. On your knees.

On your knees. Open your poncho

And put your hands behind your

Head. On your knees.

A reverse of the figure framed on the guard shows that the two have made direct eye contact. The figure raises up one big goose step into the air, the screaming guard goes safeties off. Vignette still frames of the guard aiming, the overhead of the base and the Jets flying high above. The figure knees the guard in the stomach, removes his gun and beats him unconscious with the butt of the pistol. The figure throws off the Hat and Poncho and Amani, with a bandana covering her face, is revealed to be the aggressor. She points the gun into the air and unloads shots into the sky until the magazine is dry. Soldiers in the base stand to ready after hearing the shots. Each of them arm up and leave their barracks, to assume defensive positions. Alarms sound.

Amani, now with a different gun, a Styr AUG, walks into the base as (B1) "To sing true of love" by Crushed Out starts playing.

Soldiers pour out from behind a building, but suppressive fire from Amani forces them to take cover behind a building. Once her fire stops the soldiers come from around the corner to find that she is gone. The soldiers fan out looking for her as Amani looks out at them from inside the window of one building. Soldiers move around a corner, and see a Humvee moving directly at them. They duck out of the way. The soldiers turn and open fire on the Humvee. The vehicle hits another building and lurches to a stop. Soldiers rush in to open the passenger door, but the cab is empty and the throttle has been weighted down. Bullets come raining down from Amani firing an MP40 above from a rooftop, forcing the soldiers to again duck for cover. One of the soldiers takes a hit to the leg and is dragged away.

SOLDIER

She's moving toward the control tower.

Everyone fortify that position.

Soldiers redeploy around the command center. Things become quiet as the song continues to list away. Sniper rounds hit above the soldiers heads. They fire in all directions guessing where the shot came from.

SEARGENT

Hold your fire! Hold your fire!

SOLDIER
I don't have a location, Sergeant.

SEARGENT

Everyone Prone! Eyes up.

The soldiers go belly down and scan the base for Amani. The sergeant sees a muzzle flash across the base and a bullet zips by him and hits a building in the background.

SOLDIER

Suppressing fire!

The troops shoot at the hanger.

SEARGENT

On your feet. She's pinned in

Ordinance hanger. Flank and

move in.

The soldiers comply. Three troops move into the hanger, guns drawn but see nothing until one of the men, Murphy, spots blood drops.

MURPHY

I've got blood.

The men follow the droplets to a locked door that reads "Heavy ordinance."

MURPHY (CTD)

She got inside the heavy ordinance

Bunker.

Clancy, another soldier steps up.

CLANCY

That's impossible. There's no way

in there without clearance.

MURPHY

We're in an unusual situation here,

Clancy. The way she's moving around

I wouldn't doubt anything. Brutus,

you're on ordinance you can open it,

right?

Brutus approaches and enters the key combination.

BRUTUS

Be ready for whatever is in there.

Reverse shot as the door opens reveals that Amani is behind them. A nightstick is shown swinging into the Heads, bellies and sides of the soldiers. The next shot are the soldiers all knocked out Amani standing. She drops the nightstick and a packet of fake blood then walks into the bunker, down some stairs. At the bottom are racks and racks of bombs and rockets for aircraft. She makes her way past them all and into a wide space where an enormous bomb, 30 Feet long with "MOAB" written on the side of it. She reacts ambivalently to seeing the weapon.

Back up top a second wave of soldiers enter the hanger inside they find the injured trio. A soldier makes his way down the stairs and into the bunker where he finds the MOAB's loading trolley empty. He comms up to the surface

SOLDIER

Sarge, we got a problem down here!

At that moment another Humvee springs to life and rolls across the tarmac. Soldiers left up top start opening fire but the truck blows through a security gate and heads down the road. Amani is shown driving. She checks her rear view mirror and continues on.

Joy's apartment. She serves up a tomato fontina torte to Prudence and Hope. They eat. Prudence looks at Joy.

PRUDENCE

Joy, marry me.

HOPE

You made this yourself?

JOY

Yeah. I wanted to be a chef, but

my plans changed.

HOPE

Hey there's still a chance. I'm

sure once you're not a puella

anymore you can do whatever you

want.

Joy's attitude softens.

JOY

Hope, I'm always going to be a

puella.

HOPE

Huh?

PRUDENCE

What? Arvess' contracts can't

last forever, right?

JOY

They do.

HOPE

You mean you won't graduate or

grow up or get a job? You won't

get married or take trips or

raise a family or anything?

JOY

When I made my wish I made my

choice. I'm a Puella now. I

will always be a puella.

And it means more than that.

Joy takes out the grief seed she obtained from killing the last witch. She lays both the Grief seed and her soul gem on the table. Her soul Gem has a brownish tiger's eye shade, not the brilliant golden amber it once had.

JOY (CTD)

This is the Grief seed I got from

killing the witch. Now look at my

soul gem. It's not as clear as before.

HOPE

Is there something wrong with it?

JOY

Yes. And you should see what it is

before you make your wish.

ARVESS' voice comes out from above.

ARVESS

Remember, though, you can make your

wish anytime. Even now if you want.

The girls look up to see the angel floating down to rest on a counter in the room.

JOY

That's right. But if I'm going to

teach you, then I want you to see

everything.

The grief seed is a black sphere with pewter etchings and there is something like a pin that goes through it, a pointed end on one side and an etched head on the other. Joy takes her Faberge-egg like soul gem and holds it in her hand, then puts the jagged end of the grief seed in its base. She takes several deep breaths to brace herself. Then she pushes the point of the grief seed into her soul gem, even pushing the head down into the seed, fully extending the needle of the seed into the gem. She clenches her teeth, gasps and winces in pain before twisting the seed in the base of the soul gem. The gem lights up and the opaque fragments in the soul gem are drawn to the pin of the grief seed, leaving the soul gem brilliant, golden once more. Wincing in pain, Joy twists the seed back to its original position, extracts it, before setting them both back on the table and keeling back, suddenly exhausted. The other two girls rush over to her.

HOPE

Joy! Are you alright?

PRUDENCE

Hey! What was that? Joy, what

just happened?

Joy regains her composure.

JOY

I'm OK. The pain only lasts for

as long as you have to do it.

HOPE

Pain? What pain? What did

you just do?

JOY

The taint that can build up in

Your soul gem will distort

your perceptions. If you want to

keep your head clear you have to

keep using grief seeds. What's

more, The seeds you use get filled

up to the point where they become

useless. So you have to keep

hunting witches for more. But look,

You see my soul gem now? It's

Back to the way it was. Golden

and clean. If you become puella

you have to keep your soul gem

pure. That's what the grief

seeds are for.

PRUDENCE

Oh my god.

HOPE

Joy. Is there any other way?

JOY

No. Wishes don't come for free.

This is the price you pay. I've

saved some people, I've failed

others. For everything you give

something gets taken. That's what

it means to make your wish. Grief

seeds give you that reminder.

PRUDENCE

So you're always doing this to yourself?

ARVESS

Witches must be destroyed. As puella

are born from wishes, witches are

born from despair. Puella magi

spread optimism and happiness

and witches spread sorrow and curses.

JOY

Yes, so it only makes sense that Puella

would stop people from giving into

that curse as that woman was doing.

PRUDENCE

What does it feel like to use a grief

seed?

JOY

Being crushed under ice cold broken

glass. It never feels any better

than the first time. There's nothing

you can do to avoid it. But it's short.

Thirty seconds every two days should

be fine. I know it's a lot to bear.

But if you believe in your wish and in

yourself you can make it through

anything. Don't you think so, Amani?

The other girls turn and they see Amani on the balcony.

PRUDENCE

Hey! Don't sneak up like that!

JOY

Don't worry. She's been there for

the last ten minutes at least.

If she was going to do anything

she would have by now.

PRUDENCE

Hey, creeper. Maybe you could, I

don't know, be less of a stalker?

Might work out for you.

AMANI

A witch is hatching.

JOY

Where?

AMANI

Three blocks from here.

HOPE

Joy. Should we do something?

JOY

You could have told me sooner.

Amani does not respond.

HOPE

You want us to help on this one?

Joy reaches into her purse and gets a key.

JOY

Not now. Amani and I need to talk.

Here's my spare key. Let yourselves

out and lock up.

Hope takes the key.

HOPE

OK, and good luck, Joy.

Amani looks cold at not having been acknowledged. Joy gets to the window.

JOY

Let's move.

Dark streets, the girls now transformed and with Arvess in tow run under the street lights to an alley way.

AMANI

Corner of fifth avenue and Green.

It's in there.

Joy lights up her soul gem and the two walk towards the ethereal grief seed at the back. The seed is very faint.

JOY

This is pretty new.

ARVESS

It can't be more than a day since

it appeared.

JOY

Usually these things take a full day

day to a week before I can detect

them.

AMANI

Shall we begin?

JOY

It's almost like you knew it

would be here. How did you know

Amani?

AMANI

I'm good at detective work.

JOY

We can talk about this later.

The girls enter the grief seed and it is a gothic cathedral with a factory. A jungle of carved stone, churning pistons and gears.

ARVESS

This witch has built a big labyrinth

in such a short time. It may be hard

to navigate.

JOY

Should we scout it out before making

an assault?

AMANI

No need. I know the way. Just so you know

you see this emblem?

Amani points to a symbol etched in rock it's of a pair of tennis shoes.

JOY

What about it?

AMANI

It's etched throughout the labyrinth

and it gets bigger as you approach

the witch. If you see an emblem smaller

than the last one then you're going the

wrong way.

JOY

Let's go then.

Amani cocks a sawed-off pump action shotgun.

JOY (CTD)

And please, wait until we meet trouble

before bringing those out.

The girls run through the labyrinth following larger and larger icons abruptly they cross a familiar which is in the form of a great stone angel statue with gears protruding from its form.

AMANI

It's spotted us.

JOY

That's trouble.

The girls unleash their firepower as the angel swings a sword of a multitude of grinding gears and chain at them. Joy dodges.

JOY

Amani, I can't push him back with-

Amani has vanished.

JOY (Ctd)

Amani? Where are you?

The angel charges and Joy retreats, slinging into the ceilings with her ribbon, but the ribbon is caught in a drive shaft and begins to pull her in. Out of desperation, Joy shoots out the mechanism which comes loose and Joy falls back to the ground just as the angel towers over her. As it raises up its sword Amani is now seen on its back holding on to one of its wings. She puts her shotgun to the head of the angel and fires blowing out a spray of stone and gears, dropping the familiar inanimate at Joy's feet. The girls look at each other uncertainly for a moment before a work whistle blows loudly.

AMANI

Things are about to be re-arranged.

Remember what I said.

JOY

What do you mean?

Suddenly the ground shifts, and the block which Amani is standing on is whisked away on tracks in the pillars. Joy's block is sent plunging down, as she hangs on. The Cathedral sends blocks and arches whisking in different directions, rearranging everything. When it is all done Joy gets to her feet and starts running. She keeps pressing on, seeing that the repeated emblem is becoming bigger and bigger with each one she passes until she runs over an enormous tile on the ground that is just that single emblem. Upon this she exits a corridor, and sees Amani waiting for her at a huge sealed stone gate.

AMANI

You made it. Well done.

JOY

It's in there, isn't it?

AMANI

Yes. It's very dangerous right now

because it's coming to grips with

itself.

JOY

Coming to grips?

AMANI

Witches know that they are

monsters.

JOY

I don't get it but it doesn't

really matter. We'll have to

wait until this gate opens, or

pull back until the seed is

more mature. I mean unless you

can think of a way to bust-

Amani is holding a remote detonator, extending the antenna with her teeth. Joy looks again to see that high explosive charges have been rigged all over the gate. Amani clicks the safety off, the indicator light going from green to red. Joy runs to an alcove and covers her head. Amani is right there with her, as if she was waiting for her there.

AMANI

Fire in the hole.

Amani hits the button and the blast blows the gate open in an enshrouding billow of smoke.

AMANI

I didn't need that much.

Wasteful.

JOY

You want to move in?

AMANI

No. the witch is coming.

A huge, faceless woman having long black hair with a rainbow dress, walking on spider's legs emerges from the smoke. A name in runes "Brunhilde" is shown on screen. It cranes its head on an elongating neck to seemingly survey the area. She is suddenly pelted with bullet holes. Amani is laying prone with a fifty caliber sniper rifle pointed at the witch.

AMANI

You take point. I'll cover you.

JOY

Where are you getting all these

guns?

AMANI

This is America.

Amani opens fire again as Joy slings her ribbon up to a high arch and swings into action. She lays out a line of her muskets which fire their shots into the body of the witch, and slings her back. Joy lands and moves in but the beast gets to its feet and knocks Joy down with a spider's leg strike. The witch walks over Joy and its abdomen opens to reveal a great and terrible eye which comes in close to stare at Joy in hostility. Amani shoots the eye and the witch cranes back with a scream.

AMANI

Joy! Now!

Joy fans out eight muskets which shoot the eight legs and pass through them into the walls beyond. Ribbons appear through the bullet holes which pull taught, suspending the witch in the air. Joy springs to her feet, points her finger as a gun at the restrained witch, Joy's cannon re-appears and comes to the witches face at point blank range.

JOY

Tiro finale!

The cannon shot obliterates the witch, and the labyrinth disintegrates leaving the girls standing in the alley way, now with a fresh grief seed lying on the ground. Amani stands, shouldering her browning fifty cal rifle. Joy is shown holding her teacup, but she shakes slightly now and has to calm her nerves before taking a sip. She takes a few moments to compose herself.

A park, fountain, night, street lights. Joy and Amani sit at a park bench. Joy converts her soul gem into a ring which she places on her finger. The finger has her emblem marked on the nail.

JOY

You need to use the grief seed?

AMANI

Yeah.

Amani quickly extrudes the contamination from her soul gem, clenching her teeth under a grimace before removing the seed. Amani looks at her purified, glowing purple soul gem. She hands the seed over to Joy.

JOY

I've got extras. Plus I already

fixed once today. You keep it.

AMANI

Alright.

JOY

That was very impressive back there,

Amani. If we were to work together

Like that, I'll bet we'd have the whole

city under control.

AMANI

No. Things won't be that simple.

Arvess appears.

ARVESS

You were quite impressive. But

more than that, you're mysterious.

JOY

Yes. You were trying to kill

Arvess earlier but now you

don't even seem to care that

he's around.

AMANI

I only wanted to prevent him from

making a contact with Hope DelSoro.

Having failed that, there's no point

in trying to kill him anymore.

ARVESS

But more so, you appear to be

a full puella yet there is no

point on the timeline where a

wish could have been granted

to you. I don't know what the

wishes are but I do know where

and when I grant them, but I never

even met with you.

JOY

What? That's not possible. Could

someone else have done it? One of

your friends?

AMANI

I'm right here, you know.

ARVESS

I could ask, but it seems unlikely.

It's my job to grant the wishes of

young girls. There are no previous

ley lines which lead her to a wish

nexus. Her powers just seem to

Have appeared. She shouldn't exist.

AMANI

E pur si muove.

ARVESS

The only more mysterious person

I've encountered recently is

Hope DelSoro.

JOY

Hope? What about her?

ARVESS

Her resonance is the highest I've

ever seen.

JOY

What does that mean?

ARVESS

It means that when she makes the

contract, she'll become the most

powerful puella that ever was.

AMANI

If she makes the contract, you mean.

ARVESS

Well, in any case, seeing you

two work together made me certain

that the witches should be no problem

at the moment. Plus with two

potentials the people of this city will

be quite safe.

JOY

Right. So with that in mind, Amani, how

about we-

Joy looks back to find Amani only to see that she has vanished.

ACT 2

School. Joy is shown silently doing her school work alone at a table in the library as somber piano music plays. School bell. Establishing shot of the full cafeteria. Joy is seen eating lunch in an empty corridor. Crack of a softball bat and kids are playing softball at gym class. Joy lays on her back on the school roof, looking intently at her soul gem ring. The bell rings and school is let out. Joy walks home alone. Solitary at her apartment Joy examines a picture on the coffee table of herself with her parents and gets lost in reminiscence. Her phone rings and she is jarred out of her focus. She answers.

JOY

Yes?

HOPE (V.O)

Hi, Joy it's me.

JOY

Oh, hello Hope.

HOPE (V.O)

Are you doing anything tonight?

JOY

Well it's a school night so no.

HOPE (V.O)

It's Friday, Joy. You should do

something.

JOY

Hope, you need to understand

That I have obligations to stand

Ready.

HOPE

And you can! But even Puella

Need to have fun sometimes.

JOY

I…I have lots of fun.

HOPE

Yes. Exactly what I mean. So

come and Hang out with me.

JOY

Well what are your plans?

HOPE (V.O)

It's Karaoke night at the rec center.

JOY

Well, I guess I could, but-

HOPE (V.O)

Great! I'll be there. Don't

Stand me up.

Hope hangs up as Joy looks once more at the photograph, then with a smile, shakes her head and stands to go.

Police station. Hastor's office. Hastor and Lemon watch security footage from the base robbery.

LEMON

Look! She's over there now.

HASTOR

How?

LEMON

She must have gone behind that building

HASTOR

What? At the world land speed record?

A knock at the door. Two agents stand there.

HASTOR

Can I help you?

Lemon closes the video and leaves the room, under watchful glares from the two agents.

DIXON

Are you detective Hastor?

HASTOR

Yes.

DIXON

You're handling the freedom hawks

Militia robbery?

HASTOR

That's me.

DIXON

I'm agent Dixon, Homeland security

DEWITT

DeWitt, NSA.

HASTOR

Oh, I thought you guys were the ATF.

Don't have any coffee here for you

but if you want to sit down.

DIXON

No. This won't take long.

DEWITT

The freedom Hawks militia robbery

is now a matter of national security.

We'll be taking over your case.

HASTOR

Wait, what? It's a bunch of idiot

gun nuts running around playing GI Joe

in the woods.

DIXON

We will not be discussing this case

with anyone who does not have clearance.

HASTOR

What? It's classified?

DEWITT

Do you have the case file on hand?

Hastor taps her lap top.

HASTOR

It's all in here.

DEWITT folds up, unplugs and takes the laptop.

HASTOR

HEY! HEY!

DIXON

Again, National security. These

are the only copies?

HASTOR

That won't do you any good, it's

all password protected.

DEWITT

The NSA doesn't worry about

passwords.

HASTOR

You can't just come in here and

take my-

DIXON

American lives are now at risk. We

can do whatever we need to do. If

You wait here, we'll probably have

this back to you in an hour. Just

take a long lunch in the meantime.

The agents walk out the door. Lemon reenters.

HASTOR

Sons of bitches. I can't even play

solitaire now.

LEMON

Do you think they'll find the video

footage?

HASTOR

No. I made sure to run it off your

machine in the network, but I don't

think we should exploit your security

clearance anymore.

LEMON

So that's it, you're off the case?

HASTOR

Officially, yes, but I'm not done yet.

LEMON

That was DHS and NSA that just came

in here.

HASTOR

Yeah, but give them a footprint they'll

send it off to a lab, and take three

weeks acid testing for a trace rubber

sample without ever figuring out what

size shoes they are. I don't care what

those federal apes want to do. I'm a

detective. I am on the case, whether

they know it or not. Just like I said.

Do some detective work. Black female

five foot four. You hear anything,

just come to me.

LEMON

You are talking about hiding an

investigation from the country's top

intelligence agencies.

HASTOR

They want to find their bomb, I know.

LEMON

And even that, there's 11 tons of

TNT lost out there somewhere. Are

you really willing to gamble on being

the one who finds it before time runs

out?

HASTOR

Lemon, I'm the best this case could ask

for. No matter what letters are on my

badge I can get this done cleaner than

they could hope.

LEMON

That bomb could kill hundreds of people

and we've got nothing to go on as of

now, in a case out of our Jurisdiction.

HASTOR

Black female. Five foot four. I'm

Going to close this case.

Lemon tentatively nods before leaving. Hastor leans back, closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

Rec center, social rejects, poor kids, goths, punks and misfits sit around as Hope finishes up the last verse of to the moon's 'Shut up and dance with me.' An MC takes the mic.

MC

That was Hope, performing 'To the moon.'

there. Put your hands together for her.

Feeble applause as Hope takes a bow and jumps off the platform

MC

Next up we have Amity, and she's going

to be giving us some Ariana Grande.

Amity goes on stage as Hope takes her seat again next to Joy.

JOY

Do you two always go to this?

HOPE

Well, normally Prudence is with us

but she wanted to visit Will again.

Not many people sing because like

the punk and goth kids who usually

hang out here on the weekdays get

their space invaded, they're surly

but they always listen. I think

they want to sing too, but don't

want to do it in front of their

friends. I talk to them after when

Karaoke is finished.

JOY

You really like people don't you?

HOPE

What's not to like? Everyone has

something special about them.

JOY

Well, alright but are you willing to

protect them?

HOPE

Huh?

JOY

I used to think that just liking

people and just being with them was

enough. Now I know the truth. It's

never that easy. If you like something

you have to go out of your way to protect

it.

HOPE

What? I don't get it.

JOY

Well, Hope...I won't get into it, but

just before I made my wish I thought

I had everything I needed. I thought

everything was OK, and everything would

go on being alright with nothing to

worry about. Then something happened

and I lost it all because there was no

one there to protect me or the ones I

cared about.

HOPE

What happened?

Joy pauses for a moment but does not resolve to tell Hope the whole story.

JOY

When you are all done fighting a witch,

when you have to use a grief seed, when

you're all alone in your room all you

have is the certainty that you are

protecting someone, somewhere who needs

you, even if they don't know it. What

then?

HOPE

But I'm not alone. I have Prudence and

Amity and other friends, and I'm always

meeting new people. Even if I make a wish

and become puella nothing will change that

right?

JOY

What are you protecting with your life

right now?

HOPE

Nothing.

JOY

That's going to change. Look around you.

They didn't clap after you sang. They

probably forgot your name right after the

guy up there said it. Are these people

who don't know you really worth protecting?

HOPE

Are they to you?

JOY

Yes. I know what it means to lose it all.

I'll never let that happen to the innocent

that's the meaning I've found beyond my

wish. Before you make yours you had better

find that reason beyond for yourself. OK?

HOPE

And then what?

JOY

Then you make a wish, and it will come true.

HOPE

OK.

JOY

Really?

HOPE

Yeah.

Joy smiles at having really connected.

HOPE

One question.

JOY

Yeah?

HOPE
That grief seed from last night

Was it at fifth and green?

Joy gets surprised for a moment.

JOY

Yeah. It was. How did you

Know?

HOPE

I don't know. I had a feeling

And I guessed.

JOY

That's it?

HOPE

That's it.

JOY

Make sure you tell Amani that.

HOPE

Sure. Are you going to sing one?

JOY

No. I'm tone deaf.

HOPE

Just one song. Please.

JOY

Hope, I won't sing.

HOPE

Aw. Why'd you come out?

JOY

Well you invited me.

HOPE

Well then what do you normally do

on nights out?

Joy shrugs and smirks.

JOY

Usually I just practice.

HOPE

What do you mean, practice?

Joy smiles and she glances side to side as though she's about to reveal a secret.

JOY

Let's go find some empty

bottles.

Vacant lot, Joy's Soul Gem is brightly lit as a car's headlight and on the ground in a lamp shade pointed out to Hope who is a few yards away and has three recycling bins full of glass beer bottles.

JOY

Pull!

Hope tosses the bottle into the air and Joy quickly draws a pewter musket which shoots the bottle and shatters it not just into shards but into fine dust that sparkles and glitters in the distant light like fireworks.

HOPE

Good one!

JOY

Again. Throw higher this time.

Hope tosses overhand and Joy shoots it quickly.

JOY

No. Underhand. Here I'll show you.

Joy walks over and puts a bottle into Hope's hand and shows her the type of underhanded lob she wants.

JOY

You have it gripped by the neck, right

HOPE

Yeah.

Joy takes Hopes hand with her other hand on Hope's waist standing behind her, holding her hand to show exactly how the throw should be. Hope feels slightly flustered by Joy's closeness.

JOY

OK. You can picture your arm swinging

Like this, right? Like softball. So

Swing up and toss it high.

HOPE

Yeah. Easy.

JOY

Is this OK?

HOPE

The throw?

JOY

No. I mean. Is it OK?

HOPE
I guess. I-What do you mean?

JOY

Yeah, the throw. Just like that.

Joy backs off a bit.

HOPE

Sure.

JOY

Good. You're set, then.

HOPE

What's the matter, Joy?

JOY

Do you know about yourself, Hope?

HOPE

Know about myself?

JOY

Arvess told me you have a very high

Resonance.

HOPE

What does that mean?

JOY

It means you have high potential.

You can detect grief seeds already.

I don't know how you're doing it but

It goes to show you're gifted for

this.

HOPE

I don't understand. So what?

JOY

When you make your wish, you'll be

More powerful than I am now. You

don't need me. You can do it all on

Your own.

HOPE

Does this mean you don't want to

Be a team?

Joy comes around, placing her hand on Hope's.

JOY

No. No. I'm just saying don't

Worry about it. You have what

You need already. We don't have

to be scared.

HOPE

I'm not scared.

JOY

Right. You'll be fine.

HOPE

So you want a high throw this

Time, right?

JOY

Yeah. Underhand lob. High as

You can.

HOPE

Fifty feet. I've got potential.

JOY

Just throw it, show off. Pull!

Joy gets back in position as hope tosses the bottle and Joy shoots it out at its apex.

HOPE
Nice!

JOY

OK. Trick shot. Throw the bottle

so the open end points at me. I'll

shoot inside it, bounce it and break

it with the second shot.

HOPE

You can't be that good.

JOY

Pull!

HOPE

You really think so?

JOY

PULL!

Hope tosses the bottle up as instructed, and just as she said Joy Shoots the shot into the bottle. The shot bursts inside which bounces the bottle into the air, sending it off rapidly. She pulls a second musket and finishes the bottle off midair.

HOPE

No way! Amazing.

JOY

You get good at predicting

Exactly how things are going

To move.

HOPE

OK, then. So how about three

At once?

JOY

Easy.

Hope gets three bottles into her hands.

Joy (CTD)

Pull!

Hope tosses the bottles into the air.

Vignette shots of Hope, Joy, the soul gem and the bottles frozen in air.

The bottles all burst midair simultaneously into jagged shards as the booming sound of a loud gunshot rings out that contrasts sharply with the magical bursting sound from Joy's muskets. The shards shatter on the ground.

HOPE

Wow. I didn't even see you shoot

them that time!

JOY

Because I didn't.

Joy turns behind her to where Amani stands with an M1 rifle she's in a t-shirt. Public enemy maybe.

JOY

Fancy meeting you here. Love the

shirt.

Hope runs over.

HOPE

Hi, Amani. Did you come for target

practice?

AMANI

Why is she here?

JOY

No reason.

HOPE

Hey, Amani. That witch you hunted

Last night?

AMANI

What about it?

HOPE

Was it near fifth and Green?

Amani is surprised a moment.

AMANI

Did she talk about it?

HOPE

No, I just kind of figured it out.

AMANI

Just figured?

HOPE

I just had a feeling that it would

be there. I asked Joy and she said

I was right.

Amani swallows slightly and tries to play this off as nothing.

JOY

That's what Arvess was talking about

wasn't it?

Shot of Arvess' face

ARVESS

Of course. Her resonance allows her

to do things even puella can't do

despite the fact she hasn't made a

wish yet.

AMANI

You always interject at the worst time

don't you?

ARVESS

I'm here to grant wishes. You have

to be ready at any time.

JOY

Hope, you need to know more than just

A part of the truth.

AMANI

Don't.

JOY

Don't ever say 'don't' to me.

HOPE

Hey, Easy. Easy. Amani, I'm sure

just learning more about being

puella won't hurt, right? Let me

hear it out. OK? What is it, Joy?

JOY

Tell her about her resonance, Arvess.

ARVESS

The potential of your resonance?

High doesn't begin to describe it.

JOY

When you make your wish you are

going to become the most powerful

puella magi ever.

HOPE

What?

ARVESS

It's true. Your resonance allows

you to tap more energy than should

be possible. You could call it

geometric.

HOPE
There must be some mix up.

I'm really not that special.

AMANI

That's not true.

JOY

And that's why you want to stop

her isn't it Amani? Why you

constantly terrorize her.

AMANI

OK, Joy, we need to talk.

Amani leads her away. Shot of the night sky. Joy and Amani walk a distance then stop to face each other.

JOY

So what did you wish for?

AMANI

Something other than saving my own skin.

JOY

Did you come to finally have it

out with me or would you like to

help me?

AMANI

I didn't come here to make enemies

or to team up. I came here to warn you.

A great trial is approaching us.

Before it can do any damage I

have to make sure that Hope

DelSoro does not make the contract.

JOY

Why? Are you so concerned about

losing your edge to someone better

than you?

AMANI

This is bigger than what you can

understand, Joy.

JOY

What I understand is that we fight

witches. We have two potentials on

deck, one with more ability than any

puella ever and if you weren't being

obstinate-

AMANI

Teamwork? Like you and Charity?

Joy cannot hide her outrage at hearing this comment.

ARVESS

That's all in the past now, isn't it,

Amani? Joy is being very hospitable

with her offer.

AMANI

It's not an offer, it's a plea.

She may have the strong skills but

her heart is the weakest of any

puella. You're begging me not to

abandon you because that's your

nature, Joy. You'll drag anyone

down with you just so you can tell

yourself you're not alone.

JOY

You don't know anything about me.

AMANI

I made my wish, you made yours

and they aren't the same. No matter

how you look at it we are going to

fight for different reasons.

JOY

This is your last chance.

AMANI

All I want you to do is keep Hope

DelSoro out of this for the next

three weeks. No matter what.

JOY

What happens in three weeks?

AMANI

The unthinkable. We'll be fighting

side by side, just like you asked

and if we're lucky we get to die

together. Does that sound like fun?

JOY

I think you're right, Amani. We are

going to fight for different reasons.

Do what you want, but don't cross

paths with me again. It will not

end well.

Amani sneers, then brushes her hair aside to turn away. Joy stands bitterly in the night.

JOY (CTD)

Hope! Come here please.

Hope walks over.

HOPE

What is it, Joy?

JOY

We can't do this anymore.

HOPE

Huh? What? Why?

JOY

What do you know about being a

Puella?

HOPE

Uh, I know that you fight

Witches and protect people and

You have to use grief seeds.

JOY

That's not what being a Puella

Is about. That's just what a

Puella does. The only way you

Can understand what it's like

is to make a wish.

HOPE

Well, maybe but even so-

JOY

No, Hope. I could talk to you

Forever and you wouldn't know

A thing about it. We're not

going any further together.

HOPE

But Joy, you don't have to-

JOY

I am Puella Magi. That's all I am.

It's my duty to protect you. Even if

you did make a wish you wouldn't need

me anymore. I'm-I'm saying goodbye,

Hope. It was stupid of me to come

here.

Joy leaves, trying to keep her composure.

HOPE

Joy! Wait. Don't leave like this.

Come back. Joy!

Joy's silhouette slips into the darkness.

Act three.

Hope and Prudence sit in the park.

PRUDENCE
So she just left?

HOPE

Yeah. I could tell she didn't

want to.

PRUDENCE

Well, when you think about it

It does make sense. It's a

Different world she lives in.

Having all those magical powers

This whole city must feel like

Living in a giant doll house.

HOPE

And she didn't even sing at

Karaoke!

PRUDENCE

That's what you're worried about?

HOPE

She has a great singing voice

I can tell.

PRUDENCE

All I'm saying is think about it,

She has a point. We don't know

Anything about how she feels.

HOPE

Did you come up with a wish yet?

PRUDENCE

Did you see what it was like to

Use a grief seed? I wouldn't

Do that to myself for a million

Dollars.

HOPE

Yeah, I guess you're right.

PRUDENCE

Look at it this way, you can

Magically be granted your dreams

By Arvess you'd get what you want

But wouldn't it bother you? Because

Then you'd always know someone

Else gave it to you. If you

Work real hard, make your dreams

Come true, then you'd be able to

Feel good about doing it for yourself.

That's the best way to make your

Wishes come true.

There is a resonant hum that Hope senses.

HOPE

So do you think Joy was wrong in

Making her wish?

PRUDENCE

I don't know what she wished for.

HOPE

Yeah. Me neither.

PRUDENCE

So I guess we don't make that call.

Images of the hospital appear in her mind. Hope stands up.

HOPE
The hospital.

PRUDENCE

Oh, Will? He's getting quiet.

It's not really like him. He never

Had much to say, but he always spoke-

HOPE (Urgently)
No. We have to go to the hospital.

We have to go right now.

She takes off and Prudence sprints to catch up. The girls run through the streets. Prudence keeps pace right behind Hope.

PRUDENCE

Are you absolutely sure, Hope?

HOPE

Well, I'd love to be wrong about this.

The girls make it to the entrance of the hospital out of breath.

PRUDENCE.

So where is it?

HOPE

We're very close.

Hope walks to a pillar on the side of the structure. She gets around the opposite side of it.

PRUDENCE

Hope?

HOPE

Yeah. It's here.

PRUDENCE

No.

The image pans to reveal a grief seed shadow stuck in the pillar.

PRUDENCE

What do we do?

HOPE

There's nothing we can do.

PRUDENCE

Then we have to get Joy.

HOPE

OK, let's go.

PRUDENCE

No. I'm staying here.

HOPE

Prudence?

PRUDENCE

Will is in this hospital.

If a witch wants to take him

It will have to go through me first.

HOPE

But you can't-

PRUDENCE

Go to Joy.

HOPE

Prudence-

PRUDENCE

Run! Now!

Hope nods timidly then turns and runs full out for Joy's apartment.

Prudence stands guard as the Seed hums and releases waves of negative energy.

Joy's apartment. Joy sits reading a copy of being and nothingness.

The door suddenly unlatches and Hope bursts in. Joy at first reacts coldly to her, but seeing distress in her eyes she drops the book, to follow Hope as she runs back.

Hospital

Prudence Watches as waves of shadow emanate from the seed.

HOPE (VO)

Prudence, are you there?

PRUDENCE (VO)

Yeah? Where are you?

Joy and Hope running through the streets.

HOPE (VO)

I've got Joy, we've sent Arvess ahead

To meet you. It won't be long.

PRUDENCE (VO)

Joy can you hear me?

JOY (VO)
Yes. What is it?

PRUDENCE (VO)

The seed. There are shadows coming

Off of it.

ARVESS

Get away from it!

Prudence looks up to see the angel land on her shoulder

PRUDENCE

Arvess! What's it doing?

ARVESS

The seed is reacting to you it may-

A shadow rolls over Prudence and Arvess and they vanish into darkness, so only the seed remains.

Joy and Hope arrive on the scene.

HOPE

Where's Prudence and Arvess?

JOY

They're inside. You wait here.

I'll get them out.

HOPE

No. I'm coming with you.

JOY

This isn't the time-

HOPE

Joy, there's no way I'm leaving

Here without Prudence. So you can

Take me with you or go in alone and

Let this seed gobble me up.

JOY

You don't belong here!

HOPE

You can't say that to me!

Joy and Hope square off for a moment, but finally Joy nods.

JOY

Just like last time, stay close.

HOPE

Let's go.

The girls dive into the seed, and are in a hallway made of cookies and gingerbread.

HOPE (VO)

Prudence?

PRUDENCE (VO)

Bad news, I'm in something like a big

Stadium or theatre the grief seed shadow

is Floating in the middle of it

JOY

She's in the nest. We have to act now.

Joy spreads a circle of magical flower sigils around the hallway.

HOPE

What's that for?

JOY

Protection. You'll see. But

Before we go, Amani, how long

Have you been here?

Amani walks down the hall.

AMANI

A bit now. I was here first

so I was inside and couldn't

stop the Idiot from falling in.

JOY

The situation is secure. I'm

Going ahead.

AMANI

Like I said, I was here first.

I'll be taking out this prey

The two of you head back.

JOY

I'm the one fighting this witch

And I'm not interested in debating

You right now.

Amani steps forward, unwittingly into the ring of flower sigils

AMANI

Joy, listen. You don't know-

JOY

What did I say about that word!?

The sigils unfurl into chain-imprinted ribbons which ensnare and capture Amani.

HOPE

Joy, wait.

JOY

Not now, Hope. We have to get

Moving. I'm not going to hurt

Her.

AMANI

Joy, please stop. This witch

Has a molting ability, you

Have to-AAAH!

JOY

Watch out for those restraints,

Amani. They tighten if you

struggle.

AMANI

Please, Joy, listen – aah.

JOY

Let's go, Hope.

Joy departs.

HOPE

We'll be right back, Amani.

I'm sure this will work out.

Hope departs

AMANI

No! Hope! Stop!

Deeper in the Labyrinth. Strange Familiars float about and go about what appear to be chores. Hope and Joy make their way further in.

HOPE

It's long and it's dark and

There isn't anyone here.

JOY

Don't get your nerves on end.

HOPE

Aren't you scared?

JOY

There's no need for me to

Be scared anymore.

HOPE

What do you mean?

JOY

There is nothing left to lose.

HOPE

Well…You can't mean that.

JOY

Even if I don't mean it, I have

To keep it in mind to go on.

HOPE

Joy, when you-

JOY

Hope, I have to concentrate, so

please.

HOPE

I'm sorry.

JOY

You don't have to be sorry

You have to be quiet.

The two venture further in and come across a nest of familiars who look at them with simultaneous gaze and all involve freeze for a moment before the familiars scatter and scurry out, even over the girls feet. Hope takes Joy's hand as the creatures depart from the room. With the familiars gone the two proceed in, still holding hands and Joy begins to silently sing to herself a Blondie song.

JOY

One way or another, I'm gonna

Find you. I'm gonna get ya,

Get ya, get ya get ya. One

Way or another. I'm gonna find you

I'll get you. I'll get you. And

when the lights are all down I'll

see who's around.

The girls find an empty alcove.

JOY (CTD)

It's clear here. Let's rest.

HOPE

OK, sounds good.

JOY

How are you holding up?

HOPE

I'm not the one who was singing.

Joy laughs off nervously, and earns a smidge of relief.

JOY

I did, didn't I? That's my mom in

Me. Was it blondie?

HOPE

I don't know.

JOY

Usually Blondie or Madonna.

Lucky star. Mom loved records.

HOPE

Where are your parents?

JOY

They're not here anymore.

They died. The same day I became

A puella.

HOPE

Oh.

JOY

I wished to save myself as my

Parents died. When I started

I told myself if a girl with my

powers had been there, she would

have Saved them. But that's not

true. Puella fight witches, that's

All they do. There are other

things people have to be saved from

but we can't help. I can't stop

every car crash. So this is all

I have.

HOPE

Joy, what you're doing is the right

thing. Your parents would be

proud.

JOY

I'm done reminiscing. Let's

Move.

They proceed further down the labyrinth passing familiars who pay them no mind. Joy leads and does not show Hope her face.

HOPE

I was thinking about what you

Said before.

JOY

Oh?

HOPE

About needing to find something

To protect.

JOY

Did you find it?

HOPE

I don't know yet.

JOY

Well don't stress it. You need

A wish first. Without that

you're fine as you are.

HOPE

Joy, if you were to sum up being

A puella in one word what would

It be?

JOY

Well…Let me think on that.

HOPE

You don't have to answer right

Now but-

JOY

Sadness.

HOPE

What?

JOY

I wouldn't wish this on anyone.

You're all alone, and terrified

All the time for the next witch

You have to fight, always wondering

How it can possibly ever end. No

one stands along with you. Everyone

who should help you leaves you

behind. It's nothing But sadness

being puella magi.

HOPE

Really?

JOY

If I were to tell you anything

It would be to never make a wish.

HOPE

But Joy, That's what needs protecting.

JOY

What do you mean?

HOPE

You asked me if there was something

That I needed to protect. What about

Someone everyone else relies on, but

Is alone in the world? I don't want

that for you.

JOY

So you wish to help me?

HOPE

I still don't know what I wish for

But what I want to do is be with you.

Stay by your side and help you fight.

JOY

I've heard talk like that before.

Comradery, partnership, trust,

It ended in nothing, and I was

On my own all over again.

Joy turns to show her eyes have welled up with tears. She takes Hope's hands again.

JOY (CTD)

But you mean it, don't you?

Joy takes Hope's hands. Blind Melon's 'I wonder' begins to play starting with the acoustic introduction. "All along the broadening skies…"

JOY (CTD)

Do you really want to stay with me

Through the worst of fate?

HOPE

You said I have more potential as

A puella than anyone. I want to

Meet my potential and help you.

You don't have to walk this dark

corridor all alone.

JOY (Wiping her tears)

Some leader I am. Who can't even

Compose herself. But still, you

Have to make a wish.

HOPE

But I don't know what I want.

JOY

You can have anything. Wish

For the moon.

HOPE

I don't need the moon. How can

I have the moon? What does that

Even mean?

JOY

Well, I don't know. It's something

None of us have. But then we all

look up into the night and we all

have it at once.

HOPE

You're so weird.

JOY

Yeah. I am.

ARVESS(VO)

Joy! Hope!

JOY

What is it Arvess?

The stadium Prudence is growing fearful and Arvess looks on warily something is happening to the Grief seed.

ARVESS

We're out of time. The seed is

Hatching. You need to get here

Right now.

JOY (VO)

We're on our way.

Hope puts her hand on Joy's shoulder. The intro of the song ends and faintly Shannon Hoon's 'let's get out of here.' Whispers are heard.

HOPE

Let's do this. We're a team now.

JOY

Right.

The song proper begins and Joy transforms into her full magical girl form. As if aware of her presence familiars appear all over the place, and Joy protects Hope in a barrier, then unleashes a fury of muskets and bats them away and blasts them with ease. She wraps her tether around one and swats several others away with it.

JOY (VO)

My body feels light.

She drops into a room of familiars, not ready for her who cower in her presence. With an outstretched arm she has six muskets stand at the ready, while a string of them appear in a chain formation. The central six begin to spin around, and begin to fire in rapid succession, flying off once fired and replaced by the next in the string. It acts as a minigun, tearing through the lineup of familiars. She slays a legion of them.

JOY (VO-CTD)

I'm not afraid of anything anymore.

Heroically, Joy opens the path and takes Hope by the hand. And the two run to the final destination through doors that seem to throw themselves open for them.

JOY (VO-CTD)

Because now I know I'm not alone.

The pair arrive at where Prudence and Arvess have forted up.

PRUDENCE
Hey! You guys made it!

JOY

How are things here?

ARVESS

No time. Here she comes right now.

The grief seed morphs into a Russian doll who sheds her shells, each going in a different direction in the amphitheater. Gingerbread men and candies appear in the bowls of the doll husks, that now coat the surrounding area, which opens itself, into a twin bowled arena, with platforms beyond, and when they finally open one last time, within is a tiny doll. Runes appear on screen reading "Charlotte." Joy bats the doll away with the butt of one of her rifles.

JOY

Sorry, but this is where it ends

For you.

She stands above the fallen doll, putting a musket to her head. Then she fires and from the bullet hole emerges ribbons which wrap around the doll and hoist it high in the air. Joy takes aim.

JOY

Tiro finale!

Joy fires the blast and no sooner is the shot released as the teacup appears in her hand, and she takes it to her lips to drink in victory. The two girls on the side smile and rejoice in her victory, and the shot peels through the witch. Who is ripped in half. But the top half opens its mouth and bears its teeth which shed as a long snakelike form. The serpentine witch quickly rushes down at Joy, who only has enough time to drop her teacup in surprise and horror as the jaws open to consume her. The song does not stop.

Amani, restrained in the labyrinth is dropped from her restraints which turn into a bloody, fleshy, gory gel.

AMANI

Oh no.

Against a vingnetted shot of the hallway, Amani runs to where the pair had gone.

The amphitheatre. Joy's headless, lifeless body falls from the mouth of the witch and crashes onto the ground. The serpentine witch consumes the corpse, as Hope and Prudence look on with horror.

ARVESS

You have to make a wish.

Both of you. Make a contract

With me. This witch will kill

You next if you don't.

Frozen in terror the girls cannot react in time. Arvess looks directly at Hope. The witch looks up at Hope.

ARVESS (CTD)

Make a wish. Right now.

HOPE

I…I…

AMANI

There's no need for that.

Amani arrives just as the lyrics "I don't remember who I was before" come up the witch. She opens fire and the witch quickly singles Amani out and dives down to eat her whole. It appears that she does so, but from above comes gunfire from a scorpion SMG and the witch re-assesses and flies at her, mouth open as before to consume her. Again this appears to work and again Amani appears elsewhere to fire small arms at the witch this happens five times before the snake like witch bats her away with her tail. The witch closes in for the kill.

HOPE

Amani! Run!

Amani comes up with the same remote detonator which she used previously, hits the button and explosions rock the insides of the witch. New iterations of itself emerge from the dead shells of the last, until the final version emerges and rushes at Amani who has already taken aim with a shoulder-mounted RPG.

The shot fires into the last form of the witch. Blood sprays across Amani's outfit and upon the broken remains of a shattered tea cup and saucer. The blood and tea mix with one another as the Labyrinth fades. The three girls are now in the Hospital lawn where they began and in the setting sun the grief seed descends at Amani's feet and she picks it up.

I only wanted to be 16 and free, yeah.

PRUDENCE

Give it back!

Amani turns to the girls, Prudence indignant and Hope collapsed in shock and grief.

PRUDENCE (CTD)

That belongs to Joy.

Give it back to her.

Out of respect at least.

AMANI

Believe me when I tell you.

You don't ever want to touch

One of these things.

Amani turns and departs as Prudence comforts the weeping Hope. Back to Joy's now empty apartment. There are shots of the room just as she left it and the sunlight sets on a picture of her with her mom and dad as the last bar of 'I wonder' draws to a close.

Credits.