(Feature image drawn by Vivian Van)
FADE IN:
EXT. DANDELION FIELD – NIGHT
Rain clouds and a STARLESS SKY surround a crescent moon.
A field of dandelions glitters with fireflies.
THE BOY’S SISTER, 7, and THE BOY’S BROTHER, 6, play among the flowers. They pounce on fireflies and run through the field in delight.
Their MOM and DAD watch them from the side.
THE BOY, 4, PULLS dandelions from the ground and TOSSES them in the air.
Fireflies zip out of the way as he RUNS through them.
A small firefly glides through the air. The boy smiles wickedly as he catches it and shoves it into a jar. He screws the lid on and SHAKES the jar.
A RED FIREFLY hovers around The Boy, unafraid of him.
The Boy SWATS at it. But when that doesn’t work, he begins to chase it.
The Red Firefly buzzes around The Boy’s Dad, who checks the sky for rain. He simply waves the firefly away without a thought.
The Boy tries to grab the Red Firefly, but it dives between his legs.
The Red Firefly settles on the bud of a dandelion.
The Boy slowly approaches. His hands are ready to seize it.
A pause as he waits for his opportunity.
The Boy LUNGES toward the Red Firefly and cages it between his hands.
He peeks into his fist and smiles proudly. Then he pulls out another jar, but when he unfolds his hands, he is shocked to find his hands are empty.
He looks around for the Red Firefly.
A small red light catches his eye from atop a dandelion. The Boy approaches with determination. This time he doesn’t plan to fail.
A few raindrops begin to fall. The Red Firefly starts to leave the flower when The Boy POUNCES.
He catches the Red Firefly, smiling triumphantly as red light SHINES from his fist.
Suddenly, his hands are JERKED forward. The Boy blinks, stunned. He is JERKED forward again.
What he has caught is not a firefly at all, but a RED STAR! The Red Star pulls The Boy forward as it tries to break free.
The Boy pulls his hands back, but the Red Star resists. The Boy’s feet begin to slide along the grass as the Red Star pushes harder.
The Boy’s Mom glances back to check on him. The Boy struggles to stay on the ground. She shrugs and turns away, smiling.
Then, PANIC.
She SHAKES Dad’s arm, earnestly pointing at The Boy as he is LIFTED into the air.
The Boy’s Brother and Sister watch as he floats away, their mouths open like guppy fish.
EXT. NIGHT SKY – NIGHT
The Red Star breaks through the clouds. The Boy’s teeth chatter from the cold, but his fear of falling will not allow him to release the star.
Below him, the world is a tiny model of trees, lights, and vast fields.
They pass over a gray cloud. It is close enough for The Boy to kick at it. The cloud is full of rainwater but solid. Upon this discovery, The Boy tries to anchor his feet, but the star is persistent in its escape and will not slow down.
The Boy’s feet skid along the cloud’s surface. He begins to take long strides, and soon he is running. He struggles to pull the star towards his chest.
A seagull cruises the sky, minding its own business.
It doesn’t see The Boy in time and SLAMS into his face.
The bird SCREECHES as The Boy shakes his head, almost releasing the Red Star. The seagull flaps away, looking back once more in astonishment.
A second seagull flies toward The Boy, but The Boy ducks his head just in time to miss it. He looks back just as the Red Star begins to careen upward, lifting him into the sky once again.
UP, UP they go, toward a HUGE CRESCENT MOON.
The Red Star SHOOTS out of The Boy’s hands, free at last. The momentum throws The Boy upwards. For a split second, he freezes before a FULL MOON and PLUMMETS toward the Earth.
The Boy FLAILS his arms helplessly.
Just as hope is lost, the Red Star returns. It spins around The Boy and guides him to the surface of–
EXT. RAIN CLOUD – CONTINUOUS
–a gray rain cloud.
The Boy crosses his arms, annoyed, at the Red Star as it dances around him. He tries to grab it, but it darts out of the way.
The Boy chases the star through a city of towering gray clouds.
He bursts through a cloud in an explosion of white vapour and is amazed to find a glittering LAND OF STARS behind it.
The Red Star joins its friends as a second star comes down to watch The Boy curiously.
The Boy stares at it. Then he SEIZES it.
Overcome by childlike greed, he collects as many stars as his arms and pockets can fit. The stars disperse, trying to escape their would-be captor.
A BOOM erupts, shaking the clouds. A SHARP CRACK follows, dazzling the night with a flash of lightning. Startled, The Boy stumbles, dropping most of the stars. Some stars dive into the clouds while others escape to the moon.
CUT TO:
EXT. FIELD – NIGHT
A severe thunderstorm forays the earth below the clouds, drenching the dandelion field.
CUT TO:
EXT. ON RAINCLOUD – NIGHT
Still, on the raincloud, The Boy runs for cover.
The gray clouds beneath his feet begin to soften as they fill with rain, turning slushy and doughy. The Boy drags his feet, finding it difficult to move.
A star wiggles out of The Boy’s pocket, but before it can escape, The Boy grabs it.
A CRACK of lightning STARTLES The Boy. He drops the star and shuts his eyes in fear.
The gray cloud starts to become permeable, causing The Boy to sink to his waist. Then to his shoulders until only his arm is left waving for help. Then he FALLS.
The Red Star DIVES through the cloud after him.
EXT. NIGHT SKY – CONTINUOUS
The Boy plunges through the sky. The rain whips around him.
The Red Star dives toward him. The water sizzles on the star’s body, but it doesn’t slow down. With the last of its strength, it guides The Boy back–
EXT. FIELD – CONTINUOUS
–to Earth. The Boy catches the Red Star before it falls to the ground. Its light grows dim as the rain extinguishes its flames.
The Boy shields the star, and he runs to a sentinel tree in panic. The light in his palm grows fainter. The Boy softly blows on the star in an attempt to reignite its flame. The embers simply brighten and die.
The Boy shakes with worry and guilt. Tears roll down his face as he tries again.
Once. Twice.
The Red Star softly flickers a warm red. Then more vibrantly, it comes back to life!
The Boy is ecstatic. The Red Star dances around him in joy.
The rain ceases, and the sky brightens with moonlight.
The Boy waves goodbye and watches the Red Star return home.
From across the field, The Boy’s family runs to him. They are drenched and shivering but glad to see him alive.
The Boy watches the starry night sky.
THE END
