SUNSET VALLEY
Written by Zeferovic
FADE IN.
EXT. MAIN STREET – NIGHT
The town is too quiet. The usual background hum—crickets, distant voices—is gone.
ELLIOT MARSH and JONAS KEENE stand in the middle of the street, staring at the flickering streetlamp.
JONAS
It’s getting worse.
A low HUM pulses through the air, making the pavement tremble. Elliot rubs his arms. The air feels heavier.
ELLIOT
What the hell is happening?
Jonas watches the sky, where the golden hue flickers unnaturally.
JONAS
Something’s breaking through.
INT. DINER – NIGHT
The bell chimes as Elliot and Jonas step inside. DR. SYLVIA LANG sits at a booth, flipping through an old journal.
SHERIFF BILL HARLOW stands near the counter, sipping coffee, acting like nothing is wrong.
Elliot slides into the booth across from Sylvia.
ELLIOT
You knew, didn’t you? About the cracks.
Sylvia closes the journal.
SYLVIA
I’ve seen it happen before.
Jonas leans forward.
JONAS
You mean the loop?
Elliot tenses.
ELLIOT
Loop?
Sylvia and Jonas exchange glances. Sheriff Harlow sighs and places his cup down.
SHERIFF HARLOW
It happens every time, son.
Elliot shakes his head.
ELLIOT
Every time what?
Sylvia opens the journal, revealing sketches of Sunset Valley crumbling—pieces of it disappearing into a void.
SYLVIA
Every time the town starts to break, it resets. Like a scratched record.
Elliot exhales, frustrated.
ELLIOT
That doesn’t make any damn sense.
Sheriff Harlow leans in, voice low.
SHERIFF HARLOW
Does anything about this place make sense?
EXT. SUNSET VALLEY – NIGHT
MARGOT VANCE walks alone, flipping through her notebook.
She stops outside the bakery. Something feels off.
She looks inside. Mrs. Adler, the baker, is frozen mid-movement. Hands hovering over a tray of untouched pastries.
Margot steps closer.
MARGOT
Mrs. Adler?
No response.
She knocks on the glass.
The entire building flickers—like a bad TV signal.
Margot stumbles back, breath quickening. She flips her notebook to an old drawing of the bakery.
The drawing is different. The bakery is missing.
Margot looks up.
The bakery is gone.
INT. DINER – NIGHT
Margot bursts inside, breathless.
MARGOT
Something’s not right.
Elliot, Jonas, Sylvia, and Harlow turn to her.
MARGOT
Buildings are disappearing. The bakery—it's gone.
Elliot stands.
ELLIOT
Gone?
Margot nods.
MARGOT
Not destroyed. Just… erased.
Jonas mutters under his breath.
JONAS
It’s happening faster this time.
Elliot grabs Sylvia’s journal, flipping pages. Sketches of past resets.
ELLIOT
How do we stop it?
Sheriff Harlow sighs.
SHERIFF HARLOW
We don’t.
ELLIOT
That’s not an option.
JONAS
It’s not up to you.
Elliot clenches his fists.
ELLIOT
Then who the hell is it up to?
Before anyone can answer—
A DEEP RUMBLE SHAKES THE DINER.
Silverware rattles. The lights flicker.
Jonas rushes to the window.
EXT. MAIN STREET – NIGHT
A massive CRACK splits through the pavement, spreading toward the diner. The ground trembles.
Jonas turns back to the others.
JONAS
We need to move. Now.
Elliot looks outside. His own reflection in the diner’s window doesn’t move.
Then—his reflection SMILES.
Elliot doesn’t.
His breath catches.
ELLIOT
What the hell…
The glass SHATTERS.
CUT TO BLACK.
TO BE CONTINUED...