The Summit

THE SUMMIT

Written by Madison Alford and Emilie Kefalas

malfor21@student.scad.edu ekefal20@student.scad.edu

INT. VISITOR CENTER - NIGHT Welcome to Cima de Sombras Mountain Range Reserve. The guests are greeted by the smell of charcoal and the warmth of a stone fireplace near the side wall. Its flickering flames light up the interior. The atmosphere is cozy, intimate, and rustic.

The guests check in for their evening hike. They look around while they wait for their guide.

Newspaper clippings, framed photographs, and conservation awards are plastered and hung on the walls. Some of the articles are about the reserve, the people, and the possibility of Bigfoot. There's one short newspaper clip that mentions any kind of disaster striking the mines. Judging by the worn folds and deep creases, this article looks as though it's been crumpled and smoothed multiple times.

Some of the photos are sepia-toned and fuzzy from age. They feature miners excited to find gold. Others show a vintage, black and white version of the landscape. The newer photos look like they're from National Geographic.

The guide, Ranger Bailey, calls the next group.

RANGER BAILEY [Refer to groups by name] The guests follow the ranger to the back door.

RANGER BAILEY (CONT’D) Good evening everyone! I'm glad you could make it out here and join me tonight. My name’s Ranger Bailey and I'll be your guide for our excursion this evening. Before we depart here is some quick safety information. Please leave your phones, personal items, and jackets in the visitor center; you’ll get them back when we return. No need to disturb mother nature. Is everybody ready?

The guests are ready. Ranger Bailey grabs a rustic lantern.

RANGER BAILEY (CONT’D) Fantastic. Let’s go!

Ranger Bailey opens the door for the guests to exit out to...

2.

EXT. TRAIL - CONTINUOUS The guests follow Ranger Bailey as they begin their hike on a dirt path that winds up the mountain. This starting point is obviously the most well-traveled and well lit section of the trail. Crickets and cicadas hum in the dark. An owl can be heard off to the left.

As the group continues on the path, lighting grows dimmer.

Thankfully, the moon is full and stars appear the further up the group climbs the mountain. Everything seems slightly eerie perhaps, but still normal.

RANGER BAILEY Watch your step and your head. Some of these trees are overdue for a trim. Back of the group, can ya hear me? Excellent. Welcome everyone to Cima de Sombras Range Reserve! You all are my first ever tour group, so I can’t wait to lead you on this amazing experience!

The guests follow silently, cautious of their footing. Coming up on the right is an entranceway to an old gold mine, Ikal Mino.

EXT. IKAL MINO - CONTINUOUS RANGER BAILEY This here’s our first stop, our old gold mine, Ikal Mino. Ikal means “spirit” and legend says one inhabits this mountain. When miners began blowing holes in it, they found massive veins of gold. The operation quickly grew with more and more of the mountain being carved out with tunnels. A cool fact about miners is that they would take canaries down into the mines with them to see if the air around them as toxic. They also used their pickaxes as levers for switches within the mine. One tool, multiple uses. As the miners dug deeper, the mountain’s true nature awoke and unleashed it rage on the miners. (Beat) But, it was probably just another earthquake. We get a lot of those around here.

3.

As Ranger Bailey is speaking, the ambient noise around the guests becomes eerily quiet.

Suddenly, the dormant entrance of Ikal Mino opens like the jaws of a bear. The wooden frame of the entrance is pried apart revealing a cavernous chamber. An unknown light source illuminates the interior of the mine, like an invitation.

Ranger Bailey holds back the group.

RANGER BAILEY (CONT’D) Oh my . . . Uhh this has definitely never happened before. Should weshould we go in?

The group consensus is yes. Ranger Bailey leads the group into the mine while still holding the lantern.

Ranger Bailey leads the group, but then walks back behind the guests.

RANGER BAILEY (CONT’D) You all head in first.

The guests hesitantly enter the mine.

INT. IKAL MINO - REVOLVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS All the guests enter the mine. Ranger Bailey’s lantern casts shadows on the rocky mine ceiling. There seems to be no clear passage forward.

RANGER BAILEY This is amazing! I've never been inside the mine before! Hold on a second, let me get a photo from the outside. It’ll look great on our website. I'll be right back.

Ranger Bailey gives one of the guests the lantern and runs back to the mine entrance and stands roughly 10 feet back to get the whole entrance in the camera shot.

SUDDENLY, the mine entrance slams shut. The guests are trapped. Ranger Bailey calls from outside.

RANGER BAILEY (CONT’D) Don't panic everyone! Uh... Take the lantern and keep moving forward!

(MORE)

4.

RANGER BAILEY (CONT’D) I’m pretty sure there's another way out. I'll meet you guys inside and get you to safety!

Ranger Bailey leaves.

Onward? Onward. The guests take the lantern with them. The unknown light source seems to have vanished until the guests arrive at the entrance to a new room.

INT. JOURNAL ROOM - CONTINUOUS In the side wall, a journal wedged between two rocks is illuminated. The base of what appears to be a large switch sits adjacent. The guests pick up the journal and start flipping through it only to discover almost all the pages have been ripped out except for one.

One guest reads the page aloud: "THE MOUNTAIN HAS A PLAN FOR YOU. I AM ONE OF FOUR." In the journal are four illustrations: a journal, a lantern, a dynamite plunger, and a canary cage.

The mine has a mind of its own, and it belongs to the mountain.

Guests take a pickaxe found in the room and insert it into a base to act as a lever.

A rumbling is heard in the distance, and the lighting in the room flickers and becomes significantly dimmer. Walking back to where they entered the room, they find that the original room is gone and a new path has been revealed.

INT. MINECART TUNNEL - CONTINUOUS Written on one of the wood frames of the shaft is painted: "Find your way to the lie.”

Inside the next room, a long mine shaft stretches forward in front of the guests. The sound of a canary chirping can be heard from a distant tunnel. Above the tunnel, there is a sign that reads: DANGER! AIR TOXIC The room darkens. The only source of light illuminates from the lantern, which reveals cogs are scattered across the wall. The canary chirps less frequently.

5.

It is slowly dying from the bad air.

The guests have to locate the cogs spread about the interior of the room. They have to put them on the wall in their proper place then turn the handle of the cogs. As the guests turn the handle, the cage appears out of the dark in a mine cart on a track. The chirping stops as the cage appears.

When the guests unhook the cage, they find their path has changed once more? leading them into a new room...

INT. THE BLASTING ROOM - CONTINUOUS A dynamite plunger sits on a set of crates. Eerie silence.

The guests’ instinct is to push down on it. As guests move towards the center of the room, the plunger is activated on its own. A shot of air rushes at the guests, like an explosion. The lantern’s light goes out.

A section of the wall falls away, revealing a previously hidden alcove. There is a skeleton arm reaching out towards a bundle of dynamite.

Suddenly, Ranger Bailey comes through a door that was blown open from the explosion.

RANGER BAILEY What the hell??? Did you all push that plunger? I can’t leave you alone for five minutes, can I? I wanted you to find a way out? NOT BLOW A WAY OUT! Ranger Bailey notices the bundle of dynamite on the floor.

RANGER BAILEY (CONT’D) Wow, this is unstable dynamite. I’m taking this with me to make sure it doesn’t accidentally get set off.

Dynamite is dangerous stuff. Let’s get out of here!

The guests and Ranger Bailey notice that the cave Ranger Bailey came from has collapsed.

RANGER BAILEY (CONT’D) Well then… Uh… Nevermind! (Beat) How do we get out of here?

A light illuminates from the rotating room, beckoning the guests to enter back where they started. They exit and return to the rotating room.

6.

INT. REVOLVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS The guests put all the objects on their correct pedestals.

They light up to their corresponding colors. Ranger Bailey waits for everyone to put their objects into the corresponding alcoves.

RANGER BAILEY I am so getting fired for this.

Ranger Bailey puts the dynamite into it’s corresponding alcove. A rush of air sweeps through the room and it begins to rotate.

When the rotation stops, the door they entered through reopens, revealing a hallway leading towards the pile of gold. The guests have discovered the great treasure of Ikal Mino. The guests walk towards the treasure...

INT. TREASURE ROOM - CONTINUOUS RANGER BAILEY How cool is this?! Here, let’s gather a few of these to take back to the Visitor’s Center. They would look so cool on display.

SUDDENLY, the mountain groans! It’s angry. Evil. The treasure is revealed to be a pile of bones. The mountain has trapped its next victims.

RANGER BAILEY (CONT’D) Quick! Over here! Let’s get you all out of here!

The guests carefully rush over to the door and enter the passage. It's a tight squeeze. Once the last guest is in, Ranger Bailey shuts the door, just as room begins to fall apart. . . Something is not right.

INT. SECRET PASSAGEWAY - CONTINUOUS The guests follow Ranger Bailey through a claustrophobic passageway. The mines are cramped. They are almost at the end of the hall. The door is in sight.

The mountain loudly groans once again. The ceiling starts to cave in. The wood splinters above them. Large wooden shards point down at the guests like teeth.

7.

RANGER BAILEY We have to keep going! Hurry!

Everyone continues through the hallway as the ceiling continues to cave in. Wooden beams in the structure begin to splinter and crack, giving the appearance of sharp teeth coming at the group. Shadows of boulders/rocks fall down, nearly hitting them. The mine is falling apart at the seams.

Ranger Bailey dodges a wooden spike poking from the ceiling.

As the ceiling caves in, the lights flicker, more spikes from the wooden splinters and rocks come at the group. It’s dark and loud from the mountain’s groan. The group is almost out of the mine complex . . . or so it appears.

RANGER BAILEY (CONT’D) Everyone alright? Nobody’s hurt?

The mountain groans in anger, causing the ground to shake.

For a moment, it feels like an earthquake might follow.

RANGER BAILEY (CONT’D) We’re almost there!

The mountain lets out its loudest groan. The passageway doesn’t seem to end. Where are the woods? Is this passage even leading anywhere?

SUDDENLY, the passageway emerges into the woods. The mine passageway exit shuts behind the last guest. A huge blast of wind hits the group. They made it out. The Visitor’s Center is less than a few steps away.

EXT. BACK OF THE VISITOR'S CENTER - CONTINUOUS Ranger Bailey catches their breath.

RANGER BAILEY Oh my gosh - what an earthquake! I tell ya, for a minute there, I thought . . . well good thing we're all safe!

The guests file back into the Visitor's Center.

RANGER Now don't forget Trip Advisor and appreciate y'all your step on the (MORE)

BAILEY (CONT’D) to review us on Yelp. We really coming out. Watch way back inside.

8.

RANGER BAILEY (CONT’D) Oh and be sure to purchase a postcard or a magnet to share with your friends. Thank you for coming everyone! Alright, next group!

THE END.