Radio drama script - Whitewater river sequence in The Cleansed: Season 2. Hear the finished audio at: https://soundcloud.com/finalrune/descending-the-river

1. THE CLEANSED - SEASON 2
EPISODE 2 – THE RIVER
An original audio drama by
Frederick Greenhalgh
FIRST DRAFT
July 28, 2012
© 2010 Frederick Greenhalgh
(207) 650-6198
P.O. Box 51
Alfred, ME 04002
fred@finalrune.com
http://www.finalrune.com

2. The Cleansed: Season 2
Episode 2
©2011 - Frederick Greenhalgh - fred@finalrune.com
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we’ll try to throw the buoy. If you get484
farther than that - you ride the river.485
There’s a still part at the end and we can486
retrieve you there. If it comes down to487
that - you cannot fear. You must float on488
your back, keep your legs ahead of you and489
ride the river. If you fight it, it will490
destroy you. Do we understand?491
SOME ‘YESSES’ GO THROUGH THE PARTY492
JOHN: We are in this thing together. Do we493
understand?494
ALL: Yes, John!495
JOHN: Good. Let’s ride.496
SCENE 8 – RIDING THE RIVER497
SFX: SPLASH!498
MARC: You got it, mom?499
CAITLIN: Hop in, Marc.500
MARC AND CAITLIN PADDLE OFF501
SAM CRUNCHES DOWN THE GRASS.502
SAM: We’re a well oiled machine today, Luke, you503
understand?504
LUKE: Yeah.505

3. The Cleansed: Season 2
Episode 2
©2011 - Frederick Greenhalgh - fred@finalrune.com
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SAM: When I yell paddle, you paddle. When I say506
for the love of God stop, you’ve already507
stopped.508
LUKE: Yeah.509
SAM: Luke.510
LUKE: Yeah?511
SAM: I love you Luke.512
LUKE: Sam?513
SAM: Listen to me and we’ll be alright. You’re a514
strong boy, Luke –515
LUKE: Sam –516
SAM: Man. Sorry. Luke, you’re a strong man.517
Now – paddle right.518
LUKE TAKES SOME HESITANT STROKES, THEN THEY GO....519
JOHN AND MARIA PUT IN520
JOHN: You alright?521
MARIA: Me? ... Yeah.522
JOHN: You’re still a little shaken.523
MARIA: No...524
JOHN: I may not be intuitive, but you’re an open525
book, Maria.526

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Episode 2
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MARIA: It’s just -527
JOHN: Yesterday.528
MARIA: Well, yeah.529
JOHN: I’ll keep you out of the water. Just listen530
to me, and paddle like hell.531
MARIA: Okay...532
JOHN: If you fear it, it will destroy you. Ride533
it like a wild horse.534
MARIA: I’ve never ridden a wild horse.535
JOHN: Well, you’re about to find out what it’s536
like. Come on!537
SFX: SPLASH, SPLASH - THEY PADDLE OUT INTO THE538
RIVER.539
ACTION BEAT BACKS OFF, AND UNDER540
SCENE 0-6 VOICEOVER541
MARIA: You remember, then, the raging waters --542
LUKE: It had been dry all summer, and now it had543
turned, it was mighty and raging --544
MARIA: Like a mythic beast, there to challenge us,545
to test us --546
LUKE: To destroy us for daring to think that we547
could cross it safely.548

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Episode 2
©2011 - Frederick Greenhalgh - fred@finalrune.com
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MARIA: We were crazy, Luke. We were so crazy.549
SCENE 8 - DESCENDING THE RIVER550
MUSIC: MUSIC UNDERSCORES THIS WHOLE SCENE, ECHOES551
OF THE MAIN SCORE LOW FOR FIRST BIT THEN552
BUILDING...553
JOHN: It means life or death to listen to me, you554
got it, Maria?555
MARIA: I got it!556
JOHN: Alright, so when I shout RIGHT -557
SFX: MARIA SWITCHES POSITION QUICKLY558
MARIA: Paddling!559
JOHN: LEFT!560
SFX: MARIA YANKS HER PADDLE, SWITCHES POSITION561
MARIA: Paddling!562
JOHN: STOP!563
SFX: MARIA YANKS HER PADDLE564
MARIA SHOUTS A WORD OF FRUSTRATION565
JOHN: Just like that! And if I shout it quickly -566
it means do more, you got it?567
MARIA: I got it!568
JOHN: Here we go!569

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Episode 2
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SFX: ROAR OF RIVER PICKS UP570
CAITLIN: (OFF) We’re coming to the first rapid!571
SFX: KA-PLOOSH!572
LUKE: (ASIDE) Look at them - they go like it’s no573
trouble ...574
SAM: What?!575
LUKE: (SPEAKING UP) I said - they make it look576
easy!577
SAM: Don’t worry about what others are doing,578
Luke, focus on your own paddling.579
LUKE: I can paddle.580
SAM: Good. PADDLE LEFT! LEFT! LEFT!581
SFX: ROARING RAPID COMES UP, SPLASHES, ERUPTS582
OVER CANOE583
LUKE: Holy!584
SAM: Good work, Luke, Good work, now pay585
attention!586
MUSIC: CRANKS UP A NOTCH, AS RIVER GETS MORE587
SERIOUS588
MARIA: Joohnhnnnnnn -589
JOHN: RIGHT! RIGHT! RIGHT! RIGHT! RIGHT!590

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SFX: KER-PLASH!!!591
MARIA: (SHRIEKS)592
JOHN: Keep paddling! PADDLE PADDLE PADDLE!593
MARIA: John it’s - it’s fast John!594
JOHN: Ride it, Maria! Ride it!595
SFX: KERPLASH!596
JOHN: That’s three! Maria, Not so deep!597
SFX: KERPLASH!598
MARIA: (SHRIEK)599
JOHN: HOLD ON TO THAT DAMN PADDLE!600
MARIA: There’s water, John - in the canoe!601
JOHN: Ride it out! We’re coming up to the big602
one!603
MARIA: It’s - there’s a lot!604
JOHN: We can’t deal with it, just paddle!605
MARIA: John--606
JOHN: PADDLE, dammit!607
SFX: THE APPROACHING ROAR OF A MAJOR RAPID608
MARIA: John!609
JOHN: Ride it, Maria, Ride!610

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SFX: SONIC TIME FREEZE611
SCENE 0-7 VOICEOVER612
MARIA: And in that moment... It all came crashing613
down614
SCENE 9 – THE RIVER, CONT.615
SFX: TIME RELEASES616
SFX: CRASH! THE WAVES SPIT THE CANOE UP AND OPEN617
A ROCK, SPLINTERING IT618
MARIA: (HOWLING IN TERROR)619
SFX: MARIA PLUNGED UNDERWATER - A BRIEF620
UNDERWATER WASHY SFX TONE THEN BURSTS AGAIN621
TO THE SURFACE, GASPING FOR AIR622
JOHN: MARIA! Behind you!623
MARIA: JOHN!624
JOHN: Grab the canoe! Grab the canoe!625
MARIA STRUGGLES FINDS THE CANOE AND GRABS FOR PURCHASE, A BRIEF626
BURST UNDERWATER AND NOW SHE’S UNDERNEATH THE CANOE, WITH THE THIN627
BRIGHT REVERBERANCE628
MARIA: (GASPS) John --629
JOHN: Keep your legs tucked up, don’t let the630
river grab you. We’ll make for that eddy.631
MARIA: John, I’m sorry -632
JOHN: Just ride, Maria!633

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MARIA: I’m trying --634
JOHN: Rock!635
SFX: KI-KRAK! THE CANOE FLIES OVER A RAPID AND636
WITH A WHET THUK! PROPHET GOES DOWN637
MARIA: Prophet! (BEAT) Prophet! PROPHET!638
MUSIC: MUSIC TAKES ON AN OMINOUS TONE639
MARIA: PROPHET!!!640
SFX: ELSEWHERE ON THE RIVER - STILL ON A CANOE641
SAM: You still with me?642
LUKE: Yeah!643
SAM: Prophet and Maria went down. We’re gonna644
paddle to them. You got it?645
LUKE: I got it!646
SAM: O.K. LEFT! LEFT! LEFT! LEFT! LEFT! Maria!647
MARIA!648
MARIA: MOM!649
SAM: Push left!650
MARIA: Prophet, he’s --651
SAM: GRAB MY GODDAMN PADDLE!652
MARIA: I’m trying ---653
SAM: LUKE! Keep us straight!654

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LUKE: I’m trying!655
SAM: MARIA- Kick!656
MARIA: Prophet --657
SAM: KICK!658
WITH EFFORT, MARIA GRABS ONTO THE PADDLE, SAM YANKS HER KICKING AND659
SCREAMING OUT OF THE WATER AND SLOPPILY ONTO THEIR CANOE.660
MARIA: (GASPS)661
SAM: Brace yourself - there’s another one!662
SFX: WITH A SPARKLY ROAR, THEY RUSH ACROSS663
ANOTHER CRASHING RAPID, THAT ABSORBS ALL664
SOUND... IT SLOWLY DIMINISHES, TO A LOWER665
RUMBLE666
CAITLIN: (SHOUTED) Hey! What happened!667
SAM: Prophet’s canoe flipped!668
CAITLIN: What?669
SAM: Prophet flipped!670
MARC: Mom - he’s there!671
CAITLIN: We’ll get him!672
SAM: OK! Then what?673
CAITLIN: Follow us to shore!674
SFX: RIVER SOUND LOWERS TO RUMBLE.675