INT. HOUSE- SOMEWHERE IN THE FUTURE- NIGHT

A young girl with black hair and glistening dark eyes stares out the window. She crouches on a sofa, leaning towards the window sill.

ANGLE ON THE GIRL'S FACE as a flicker of yellow glistens against her pale skin. A shadow glimmers behind her.

ROLLAN (O.S.)

Mayla, we have to go.

The girl turns to see the speaker.

ANGLE ON ROLLAN: he stands at the edge of the room, leaning his hand against the entrance way. He smiles sadly at his adopted daughter, knowing what will happen next.

MAYLA

It's beautiful.

She taps the glass with a finger and we pan to see through the window. Fire streaks through the air, smoke billowing in the dark air like clouds. The street is dotted with flames and the remains of broken houses.

Rollan smiles and holds out his arms, waiting for Mayla to run towards him. Slowly, still entranced by dancing flames, she slides off the sofa and shuffles to her father. Rollan picks her up and takes a left down a hallway.

INT. BASEMENT- MINUTES LATER

Rollan, still carrying Mayla, edges around dusty boxes of miscellany. Many of the items have fallen to the ground. Cracked plates and glasses litter the floor. Broken toys lay untouched.

ROLLAN

We have to leave Buchtton, sweetie. It's getting too dangerous. Most others have already left.

ANGLE ON MAYLA: she leans on her dad's shoulder, staring blankly at the mess scattered around the room. She clutches Rollan tighter

MAYLA

Will we see Mommy?

Rollan smiles.

ROLLAN

Of course. And Lisra and Galacia.

A picture lies in the debris. Rollan almost steps on it, but stops. We see his hand reach down and pick it up.

ANGLE ON PICTURE: we see a family of five pose together happily. Two girls, both older than Mayla, are smiling widely. One of them, Lisra, is sticking her tongue out at the other, Galacia. Galacia laughs and smiles. A gentle glow pulsates from the image.

INT. BASEMENT- TWO YEARS EARLIER- DAY

Lisra and Galacia thump down the stairs, giggling. We see their mother and father moving around boxes while a younger Mayla plays with her toys on the floor. She looks up as her sisters race past.

WANN (O.S.)

Lisra, Galacia, remember what I said about playing?

The two sisters stop in front of their mother. Galacia stops a little late and almost rams into Lisra.

LISRA

Sorry, Mommy. We're just so bored of packing. The fire hasn't even reached Buchtton yet!

WANN

(exasperatedly)

It'll come. Eventually.

ROLLAN

And we'll have to be ready when it does.

ANGLE ON LISRA AND GALACIA: Lisra stares at her feet in shame. Galacia rolls her eyes. She glances behind her at her youngest sister, Mayla.

ANGLE ON MAYLA: she stares at her family, confused by the conflict. She trots forwards and hugs Lisra's legs.

The middle child peers down at Mayla and gives her a smile.

LISRA

Why can't we all fit into one ship?

Rollan and Wann meet eyes. Wann nods at Rollan to explain the situation to their adopted children.

ROLLAN

Well, we can fit only three in the ship. Our only option is to split up. Don't worry, Mayla and I will meet you on Enki.

GALACIA

(realizing what is happening)

But-but we only have one ship.

INT. BASEMENT- PRESENT- NIGHT

Rollan drops the picture, his tears reflecting silvery light in the dim room. Mayla watches it fall with wistful eyes.

ROLLAN

(mumbling)

How are we going to do this?

He lets Mayla down and she crouches on the floor, touching a newspaper clip advertising a spaceship.

MAYLA

What about this ship?

Rollan crouches beside his daughter and ruffles her black hair.

ROLLAN

I don't think so, honey.

ANGLE ON NEWSPAPER CLIP: it glows softly with the same light as the family picture.

INT. BASEMENT- FOUR YEARS EARLIER- MORNING

Rollan and Wann sit at a wooden table, reading a newspaper article. On the front, the advertisement of the spaceship is clearly seen.

WANN

I can't believe this is actually happening. It always seemed something that would happen later. Not in our lifetime.

ROLLAN

Well, scientists have been predicting this for decades now. Anyways, we better start packing. We need to get to this planet Enki before we get destroyed by fiery rain.

WANN

(more serious)

We need a ship.

ROLLAN

How about this dealer?

Rollan points to the spaceship advertisement.

WANN

That looks like a good option, but, wait, didn't your mom have one? Or did you sell it when she died?

ROLLAN

She hid it. She gave me directions, but I can't remember where I put the sheet with them on it.

WANN

You'll find it.

INT. BASEMENT- PRESENT- NIGHT

Rollan and Mayla continue through the mess. The patter of the fire outside grows louder and its beat, quicker.

Rollan takes Mayla's hand and walks more hastily, no longer bothering to step around broken objects and trash. They stop at the end of the room at a wall. The wooden table from the memory, now cluttered with papers, leans against the cracking surface.

Rollan flicks on a lamp sitting at the edge of the table. He lets go of Mayla's hand and rummages through the paper.

ROLLAN

(mumbling)

Where is the stupid address?

Papers fling onto the floor around his feet.

ANGLE ON MAYLA as she crouches down and picks up an index card.

MAYLA

Daddy, I found it!

Rollan glances down and smiles at Mayla. She hands him the index card and he heads to a worn green door. He twists the knobs. The door shudders and crashes to the floor with a loud thump. Mayla gives a yelp.

ROLLAN

Wait here, honey. I'll be back with the ship.

He grabs a dusty black umbrella from the floor and disappears through the doorway.

ANGLE ON MAYLA: she stares after her father and hugs her knees to her chest, rocking back and forth. As an adopted child, abandonment is a constant fear in the back of her mind.

INT. BASEMENT- MORNING

Mayla, asleep on the floor, shudders as an engine roars through the air. The rain, gentler now, is drowned by the sound. Mayla gets up and creeps towards the doorway. Fear and determination gleams in her eyes.

The engine stops and Mayla quickens her pace. She heads out the door.

EXT. PATIO- MORNING

A fractured patio lays before Mayla. A torn, black canopy is all that protects her from the fire pouring from the sky. She rubs her arms nervously and squints into the darkness.

In front of the patio sits a spaceship similar to the one depicted in the advertisement. Rollan pokes his head out from the doorway of the ship.

ROLLAN

Mayla, quickly hop in!

Sensing the urgency in her father's voice, Mayla races forward. She pauses at the edge of the patio. Squeezing her eyes tight, Mayla leaps forward. Fire flickers below her and smoky air billows around her. Just before a drop of fire lands on her, she makes it inside the ship.

Rollan hugs his daughter, tears streaming down his face.

ROLLAN

Let's go see our family.

INT. HOUSE- ON ENKI- LATE MORNING

A message flickers on the window of the house. Lisra, older now and reading on a tablet, glances behind her. Her face lights up. The tablet thuds to the floor and she scampers to the back room where Wann and Galacia are playing a card game.

ANGLE ON WANN AND GALACIA: they stare at Lisra, confused by her happy expression.

LISRA

It's Dad and Mayla. They're coming home.

Thank you for reading! If you like my screenplay, please don't be afraid to give it a vote. Comments are always welcome and I love hearing your thoughts. Question: What do you think the family will do when they reunite?