Ashes - A Short Film








FADE IN:

INT.CLINIC.DAY

DAVID,40,plump and unshaven, lies on a black couch, eyes
closed. He frequently runs his tongue over his lips.

MARIA,35,fair and slim, wearing a white coat, sits next to him
on a revolving chair. She scribbles something on a notepad,
puts it aside and observes her patient with concern.

                                MARIA
                    Hello, are you there?

                                DAVID
                           (struggling)
                    Yes doctor.

                               MARIA
                    Tell me what's happening.

                              DAVID
                     I am having the same dream.

                              MARIA
                    What do you see?

                              DAVID
                     I see...a soldier.

 DREAM - DAVID ON THE RUN

David rushes along a black top road, PANTING. He stops to
catch his breath and glances sideways.

A huge soldier scoots towards him menacingly, sporting only a
loin cloth. A visored helmet covers upper half of his face. He
brandishes a large oblong shield and a curved sword.

David bumps off the road and enters a dense forest. He dashes
through thick foliage, the soldier on his heels.

Exhausted, he reaches a hill top and stares down into the
deep valley. He hears some FOOTSTEPS behind him. He turns.

The soldier stands at an arm's length. He gapes back into the
valley. He is trapped. The soldier strolls up to a heavy, brown
box lying nearby and TAPS it twice with his sword.

                              SOLDIER
                    Open it.

David gawks at the box, his eyes full of terror.

                               DAVID
                            (stammering)
                    Wh...what's inside there?

                              SOLDIER
                     You can see yourself.

David staggers back.             

                               DAVID
                     I know you want to kill me.

                               SOLDIER
                     I can never kill you.

David now stands at the edge of the valley.

                               DAVID
                    I don't trust you.

                               SOLDIER
                    Don't move.

                               DAVID
                    I hate you.

As he steps back further, he rolls down the yawning gap. His
SHRIEKS echo. The soldier runs up to the edge and SHOUTS.

                               SOLDIER
                   David.

BACK TO PRESENT DAY

David lies on the couch, SCREAMING. Maria holds his shoulders
and shakes him vigorously.

                                MARIA
                   David, wake up. I say wake up.

David sits up on the couch with a jerk, GASPING. Maria hands
a glass of water to him. He GULPS it down in one go.

                                MARIA
                   Feeling better?

He nods.

                                MARIA
                   So this is the dream that rattles
                   you every night.

                                DAVID
                    I see that soldier every hour
                    now. It's so scary - to see yourself
                    die. It's such a torture.

                                MARIA
                   Why does the soldier say he can
                    never kill you? He chases you with a
                    sword, doesn't he?

                                DAVID
                    He looks all set to stab me. It's
                    because of him that I slide into
                    that gorge.

Maria paces up and down in the room for a while, then halts.

                                 MARIA
                    Does the soldier resemble anybody
                    you know?

                                 DAVID
                    His face is half covered. 

                                 MARIA
                    But you hear his voice ,don't you?

He closes his eyes, then holds his head with both his hands.

                                  DAVID
                  Oh, no!

                                   MARIA
                  Come on, tell me!

David slowly rises and slithers up to the window. A dim
sunlight illuminates his stony face.

                                    DAVID
                   It's...my father.

                                     MARIA
                  Your father! Where is he now?

                                     DAVID
                   He's no more.

                                     MARIA
                  When was that?

                                     DAVID
                   He was in army. He died fighting
                   during Vietnam war. His body could
                   not be traced.

                                     MARIA
                   And where did he live?

                                     DAVID
                   In his native village - quite far
                   from here. My grandmother puts up
                   there now.
                       (sighs)
                   Six months back, I got a message
                   from her. She wanted to meet me
                   urgently but I could not go.

                                     MARIA
                  Since when are you getting this
                  dream?

                                     DAVID
                 For the last six months.


David turns sharply and grabs Maria's arm.

                                    DAVID
               You mean to say all this is
               connected?

                                    MARIA
               You must visit your father's
               village immediately. There is
               something waiting for you there.

David gapes at her with his mouth half open.
EXT.VILLAGE.DAY

David works his way through the narrow lanes of a small
village. Some passers by look at him suspiciously.

He stops in front of a two storeyed building and knocks at
the door. An old woman,70,opens the door and stares at him.


INT.GRANNY'S HOUSE.DRAWING ROOM.DAY

A spacious hall with wooden interiors. Young David's
photographs with his parents adorn the walls. His father
appears to be a well built, radiant young man.

David steps up to a photograph and covers the upper half of
his father's face with his fingers.

QUICK FLASHBACK

The soldier chasing David, his face half covered by a helmet.

BACK TO SCENE

David bites his lips. His GRANNY approaches him.

                            GRANNY
             I know what's troubling you.

David spins around.

                            GRANNY(CONT'D)
            Your father comes in my dreams
             also.I need to show you something.

Slowly, she mounts the stairs. David follows her. She enters an
UNUSED BEDROOM

and opens the window. The diffused sunlight falls on a heavy,
brown box kept on a table. She touches the box softly.

                             GRANNY
            Open it.

David shudders.

                              GRANNY
           Come on son, you got to do it.

She hands a heavy iron key to David. With his hands
trembling, he turns the key inside the socket and lifts the
lid.

He stares down at a brass urn, it's mouth sealed by a piece
of bright red cloth.

                             GRANNY
          These are your father's ashes.

David CRASHES like a log into a nearby chair.

                             GRANNY(CONT'D)
            Six months back, two military
            officers came and handed over this
            urn to me. I could touch my son
            again after twenty years.

Her eyes well up with tears.

                              GRANNY(CONT'D)
           They wanted to conduct his last
            rites with full military honors but
            your father had always been against
            such ceremonies. So, I refused.

A white pigeon lands on the window sill and COOES softly.

                              GRANNY(CONT'D)
           As per our custom, his ashes have
           to be immersed in the river which
           flows next to our village.

David gets up and takes the urn out of the box. He clutches
it tightly to his chest and starts CRYING uncontrollably.
Granny holds his arm and leans against his shoulder.

EXT.RIVER.DAY

David sits in a wooden boat, holding the urn. An old man rows
the boat to the middle of the river. David rises, uncovers
the urn and releases his father's ashes into the water.

Suddenly, he notices the soldier standing near the bank. The
soldier takes off his helmet and smiles. It's his father.

He waves affectionately at David, turns and disappears into
the woods.

                                                                          FADE OUT:

CREDITS ROLL

Comments

  1. Shalini Singh11 October 2017 at 18:04

    Another masterpiece, you brought out the importance of following rituals after death. While reading it seems a movie is playing in a theater because the minute details of characters are explained extremely well. Wonderfully written, every character's narration needs exceptional visualization power which is clearly visible in this piece of writing.

    Keep writing...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Manish Sharma12 October 2017 at 22:35

      Thanks Shalini. It's a conflict between a man and his dream.And his character is indeed intriguing and interesting at the same time.

      Delete
  2. Unknown23 October 2017 at 06:50

    This is indeed intriguing and suspense filled. Nice one.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Unknown23 October 2017 at 06:50

    This is indeed intriguing and suspense filled. Nice one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Manish Sharma23 October 2017 at 21:27

      Thanks Linda for reading Ashes.The fear of death haunts everyone but we need to face it bravely and discover new meanings of life.

      Delete
  4. Aanchal26 February 2022 at 09:38

    I cannot describe my feelings in words. This is a masterpiece. It unfolds so beautifully. Scene after scene, you feel the excitement as to what would happen next.

    The connection of horror dream pertaining to his father, how it takes him back to his own village and the peaceful face of his father in the end reflects his entry into another realm of which no one is actually aware of. When one leaves the soul, there is indeed a different world.

    I am deeply touched.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Manish Sharma4 March 2022 at 11:05

      You have described it so beautifully that I can now see my story from a new perspective. Thank you so much for being so supportive.

      Delete
  5. Vinaykumar.HL2 March 2022 at 21:51

    Sir, immensely engaging, intriguing an edge of the seat thriller.....

    ReplyDelete
  6. Unknown2 March 2022 at 21:57

    Captivating

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Manish Sharma4 March 2022 at 11:06

      Thank you so much. Would love to know your name.

      Delete
  7. Unknown2 March 2022 at 22:01

    Very beautifully described. Nice one sir

    ReplyDelete

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