Wind blows and winged-vine seeds float in the air and drop slowly. Some fell on the ground. A few others on the water. It’s still and silent. Fishes swim mutely under lotus leaves. We see two people, a lanky fellow and an equally skinny but shorter girl, standing still and straight on the bridge. Not eyeing the water. Just standing still. We call the girl Mia. We call the other fellow Ryan.
We see Mia’s face blur from the left side where we see Ryan. We see Ryan’s face blur from the right where we see Mia. A soft air wafts thru Ryan’s long hair. Mia blinks. Everything seemed slow.
MIA
(sighs and smiles)
Here are two of us on this bridge.
We’re here many times. But it’s the first time we came as we are.
RYAN
(tries to smile)
We live many lives. That I’ve always known.
MIA
Which life exactly are we living now?
RYAN
Yeah. Which life should it be?
MIA
(laughs)
You were the kind who had answers to everything.
RYAN
Then, maybe this one time, I am not that person. So you tell me, Mia. Which life is this now?
MIA
Don’t know. But it must be something so still we don’t feel anything.
(sighs and smiles)
Here are two of us on this bridge.
We’re here many times. But it’s the first time we came as we are.
RYAN
(tries to smile)
We live many lives. That I’ve always known.
MIA
Which life exactly are we living now?
RYAN
Yeah. Which life should it be?
MIA
(laughs)
You were the kind who had answers to everything.
RYAN
Then, maybe this one time, I am not that person. So you tell me, Mia. Which life is this now?
MIA
Don’t know. But it must be something so still we don’t feel anything.
1 EXT-WOODEN BRIDGE(CONTINUED)…
We see cotton clouds drifting away revealing a piece of the blue sky. We hear leaves rustle. Mia closes her eyes and breathes deeply. Ryan watches her with eyes that seemed to see things clearly for the first time.
RYAN
You gave up feeling anything. I’m sad hearing that.
MIA
(opens her eyes)
You make it seem like you are making me some favor. I don’t particularly like being a cause to your unlucky feeling, Ryan. Forget being nice.
RYAN
Why can’t you stop being perfect for a while? You make me sad and you don’t need to agree to that.
MIA
Make you sad? (laughs bitterly) I don’t think I deserve to hear that, too.
RYAN
You never tell me what you need to hear.
MIA
I needed to hear you’ll stay. But I don't know if I want that. So what’s the point telling you?
RYAN
I’m sorry Mia. I just…well, I never understood you.
MIA
I guess I never tried that hard to make you. For that, I guess I am sorry too.
You gave up feeling anything. I’m sad hearing that.
MIA
(opens her eyes)
You make it seem like you are making me some favor. I don’t particularly like being a cause to your unlucky feeling, Ryan. Forget being nice.
RYAN
Why can’t you stop being perfect for a while? You make me sad and you don’t need to agree to that.
MIA
Make you sad? (laughs bitterly) I don’t think I deserve to hear that, too.
RYAN
You never tell me what you need to hear.
MIA
I needed to hear you’ll stay. But I don't know if I want that. So what’s the point telling you?
RYAN
I’m sorry Mia. I just…well, I never understood you.
MIA
I guess I never tried that hard to make you. For that, I guess I am sorry too.
2 EXT-MEADOW-DAY
A bird flutters away from a branch. We see a dirt path cutting thru a meadow of bright grass flowers. Mia walks rather slowly. Ryan is close beside her kicking stones out of the way. We see their feet in slow motion. Then we see Ryan’s face up close. He looks up into the bright sky. Mia looks at him with eyes that seemed to see things clearly for the first time.
MIA
What happened to us, Ryan?
RYAN
(smiles to himself)
We lived our lives, Mia. It’s just that we tried so hard to live it separately.
MIA
I was too afraid to lose mine while living yours.
RYAN
(looks at her worried)
Did I make you feel that?
MIA
(frowns)
I said stop being nice. You didn’t. It was how I felt. You don’t need to feel responsible for it.
RYAN
(smiles to himself)
It’s funny hearing that. Since I met you, all I wanted was to feel responsible for you.
MIA
And I was constantly reminding you not to do that. I wish you’d let me handle myself.
RYAN
(looks at Mia intently)
That’s because you don’t really see yourself cry. God knows how terrible I felt that day.
FLASHBACK. It’s a warm evening. The streets are busy and we see Mia wiping her tears and crossing the street absent-mindedly then a speeding car suddenly breaks to avoid running over her. Ryan pulls her away by the shoulders.
MIA
(Laughs)
I was just careless at that time. It’s not like I was killing myself.
RYAN
(Laughs too)
You can end up killing yourself without meaning to when you are sad.
MIA
I take full responsibility for that case too.
RYAN
That’s shit. You think it’s cool to be responsible. But you won’t feel responsible of the grief—unlucky feeling, or whatever you call it—if I lose you completely.
MIA
Until this moment, I always think I loved you more. I guess I am wrong. I must be really stupid.
RYAN
I want to stay Mia. I need to be around you. This is the life I wanted.
MIA
Because you need to be around me, you’ll give up being a dreamer. You’ll give up being a good son. You’ll give up your chance to become great…for a life with me. Do you honestly think I can live with that?
What happened to us, Ryan?
RYAN
(smiles to himself)
We lived our lives, Mia. It’s just that we tried so hard to live it separately.
MIA
I was too afraid to lose mine while living yours.
RYAN
(looks at her worried)
Did I make you feel that?
MIA
(frowns)
I said stop being nice. You didn’t. It was how I felt. You don’t need to feel responsible for it.
RYAN
(smiles to himself)
It’s funny hearing that. Since I met you, all I wanted was to feel responsible for you.
MIA
And I was constantly reminding you not to do that. I wish you’d let me handle myself.
RYAN
(looks at Mia intently)
That’s because you don’t really see yourself cry. God knows how terrible I felt that day.
FLASHBACK. It’s a warm evening. The streets are busy and we see Mia wiping her tears and crossing the street absent-mindedly then a speeding car suddenly breaks to avoid running over her. Ryan pulls her away by the shoulders.
MIA
(Laughs)
I was just careless at that time. It’s not like I was killing myself.
RYAN
(Laughs too)
You can end up killing yourself without meaning to when you are sad.
MIA
I take full responsibility for that case too.
RYAN
That’s shit. You think it’s cool to be responsible. But you won’t feel responsible of the grief—unlucky feeling, or whatever you call it—if I lose you completely.
MIA
Until this moment, I always think I loved you more. I guess I am wrong. I must be really stupid.
RYAN
I want to stay Mia. I need to be around you. This is the life I wanted.
MIA
Because you need to be around me, you’ll give up being a dreamer. You’ll give up being a good son. You’ll give up your chance to become great…for a life with me. Do you honestly think I can live with that?
We see Mia walks away leaving Ryan behind. We hear trees rustle. We see clouds drift away to reveal a piece of the blue sky.
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