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Guardian Angel - A New Pilot - First 5 Pages


ACT I

EXT. A DESERT GARDEN – NIGHT

A RAIL THIN MAN KNEELS at a boulder half the size of himself.  His head is BOWED LOW, with CLASPED HANDS RAISED HIGH.

Far away the kneeling man, the HEAD OF A SERPENT RISES INTO VIEW.  It’s almost black – like darkness given shape.  But still a bit translucent, with the light of the moon passing through it. 

It HISSES quietly, and SLITHERS slowly toward the kneeling man

The sufferer SHIVERS and his SCATTERED SOBS FADE into the sparse desert darkness that surrounds him.

This is JESUS.  Not the perfect, white-washed messiah, but a terrified Middle-Eastern laborer.

                          JESUS
                     (Subtitled)
                     Father?  Can you hear me? 

From everywhere at once, a HISS ECHOES.  Jesus LOOKS UP to the sky, where he expects Heaven to be.

                          JESUS
                     (Subtitled)
If it is possible, please…take this cup from me.

LOUD SNORES fill the air.  Jesus TURNS.

A stone’s throw away from him lies a group of men.  Laborers all, as is reflected in their TATTERED ROBES.  They are the APOSTLES, and every one of them is FAST ASLEEP.

Off Jesus, who’s head FALLS – the final nail in the coffin –

                          JESUS
                     (Subtitled
The spirit is willing.  But the flesh is weak.

The Shadow Serpent SOLIDIFIES with an INKY BLACKNESS THAT SWIRLS AND PULSES.  It PICKS UP SPEED.

Jesus RAISES his clasped hands higher than before, GRINDING HIS FOREHEAD AGAINST THE STONE.

                          JESUS
                     (Subtitled)
                     Please father.  I don’t want to die.

The shadow Serpent GROWS TWO HUMAN LEGS from its belly.  Half-snake, half-man, it RUNS toward its prey.

It’s past the Apostles, but Jesus does not see it.  Does not hear it.  His own sobs drown out this thing’s hungry hisses.

It LEAPS for him – beams of moonlight getting lost in it – it has become the black hole it was meant to be.

Just before the open-mouthed Shadow Serpent can sink its dark fangs into Jesus, a BEAM OF WHITE LIGHT PIERCES THROUGH ITS HEAD.

The thing is DRIVEN INTO THE EARTH.  Even for a shadow, it looks dead.  And then it MELTS INTO THE NIGHT. 

The beam of white light FADES revealing the BLADE OF A PRISTINE SWORD.  The tip of the sword is PULLED OUT OF THE EARTH.

And the wielder of that sword is an ANGEL right out of a William Blake painting – with FLOWING WHITE ROBES that EXPOSE HIS ILLUSTRIOUS ARMOR.  Outstretched behind him are WINGS SO WHITE THEY ALMOST GLOW, and on his head is a SILVER HELM THAT COVERS HIS FACE.  This is REMIEL.

He FOLDS HIS WINGS BACK and SHEATHES his sword.  And though he stands right in front of Jesus, Jesus has not noticed him. 

The suffering messiah continues to suffer.

Remiel brings his HANDS TO HIS HELM.  He MAKES TO LIFT IT OFF.

But another PAIR OF ARMORED HANDS HOLDS HIS DOWN.  Remiel SPINS AROUND, facing a SLENDER WARRIOR IN THE ARMOR OF SAMURAI.  Her AUSTERE EYES can be seen through the ARMORED MASK she wears, and her RAINBOW COLORED WINGS are OUTSPREAD.  This is KAMI.

The pair speak to each other in English.

                          KAMI
                     Stay yourself Remiel.  This is forbidden.
                          REMIEL
We are guardians, Kami.  We were made to protect them.
(He points to Jesus, who remains oblivious to the angels standing next to him)
I was made to protect him.

     KAMI
Not anymore.  The demons have been beaten back.  Banished to the garden of old.  Our work is finished.

Remiel turns to Jesus.  The prophet’s body still quakes with fear.  His tears still soak the stone.

                          REMIEL
                     Mine is not.

                          KAMI
Do not misremember our task, little brother.  We were only, ever, meant to protect them from dark forces against which they could not fight back.  That is the law of our mother.

     REMIEL
No, that is the law of Heaven.  An interpretation of the final commandment given by our father before any of us were shaped.  Before he withdrew from all creation, leaving the Seraphim to argue over the precise meaning of those final words.

     KAMI
Why do you insist on seeing this through a child’s eyes?  Yes, the scholars disagree.  On semantics and specifics, but not on the prevailing truth.  We live by mother’s example.  She’s withdrawn from us.  Thus both Heaven, and Hell, must withdraw from them.

     REMIEL
Then why shape us, Kami?  Why give us life, if it could only be used so sparingly? 

Remiel turns back to the still bowed Christ.

                          JESUS
                     (Subtitled)
                     Please father.  Please, please, please…

                          REMIEL
Even as he suffers, he knows that suffering is bound up with his purpose.  I have walked with this man, Kami.  Watched him.  Heard him.  He truly believes that he carries a message, and that Father gave it to him.

     KAMI
That is impossible.

     REMIEL
I know.  Father does not speak to the heavenly host.  Nor do any angels make such claim.  Yet this man does. 

     KAMI
He is not the first.  Nor will be the last.

     REMIEL
True.

Kami turns Remiel back to face her.

                          KAMI
Listen to me, brother.  He is no more than a mortal man.  And the ways of men are not our ways.

                          JESUS (O.S.)
                     (Subtitled – and loud)
                     FATHER!!

Remiel turns back.

                          JESUS (O.S.)
                     (Subtitled)
I beg you!  Spare me!

     KAMI
In the end, they will always choose themselves over their brothers.

Remiel turns from Jesus to the sleeping Apostles.

                          KAMI
I do not know what happens now that our task is done.  But I do know that we have been called to serve, by giving up the guard.  

Remiel turns back to his sister.  Looks her in the eye.

                          KAMI
And above all else…archangels were made to serve.

     REMIEL
You are right Kami.

Kami HUGS her little brother.

                          KAMI
                     Come brother.  Let’s go home.

They TURN THEIR BACKS on Jesus and READY THEIR WINGS.

                          JESUS (O.S.)
                    (Subtitled)
                     Father?

Remiel TURNS BACK.

The pathetic Jesus from just a second ago is replaced with an attentive messiah.  His HEAD UP.  EYES LOOKING TO THE HEAVENS.

                          JESUS
                     (Subtitled)
So be it.  Let it be as you, not I, would have it.

Jesus PUSHES OFF THE ROCK.  He FALLS BACK ONTO HIS CALVES.

                          JESUS
                     (Subtitled)
                     I’m going to die.

Remiel TURNS BACK TO KAMI.

                          KAMI
                     Remiel.  He’s mad.

                          REMIEL
                     Forgive me sister.
Remiel STRIDES to Jesus’s rock.  He SITS ON IT. 

He EXHALES AUDIBLY.  And then a WARM GLOW SURROUNDS HIM. 

The light TOUCHES JESUS’S FACE.  The prophet LOOKS UP.  He NOTICES.

Remiel REMOVES HIS FULL HELM, revealing a face underneath that looks like Jesus – only fuller, healthier, and SMILING.

Jesus SEES THE ANGEL FOR THE FIRST TIME.  He is STUNNED.  Silent.  Scared.

                          REMIEL
                     (Subtitled)
                     Hello.

A PEACEFUL SMILE SPREADS ACROSS JESUS’S GAUNT FACE.  Which takes us to…

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