SUNSET VALLEY
Written by Zeferovic
Episode 7: "No Way Out"
FADE IN.
FADE IN.
EXT. UPSIDE-DOWN SUNSET VALLEY – NIGHT
The ground shakes beneath their feet as SHERIFF BILL HARLOW collapses, his eyes flickering gold.
JONAS KEENE catches him, holding him upright.
JONAS
Bill! Snap out of it!
Harlow’s voice trembles, his words almost not his own.
SHERIFF HARLOW
I… I’m not real. None of us are.
MARGOT VANCE steps forward, grabbing Harlow’s shoulders.
MARGOT
No, you are. This is just another one of their tricks.
But Harlow’s eyes are wide, his face twisted in confusion.
SHERIFF HARLOW
I can’t remember… who I really am.
Jonas’s grip tightens on Harlow’s arm as the Pale Man steps closer, his presence making the town flicker more violently.
PALE MAN
The truth is always buried in lies, isn’t it?
Elliot moves to stand beside Sylvia, looking at the scene before them. His voice is steady, but his hands shake.
ELLIOT
Who are you? What do you want with us?
The Pale Man smiles, slow and cruel.
PALE MAN
You don’t get it, do you? This isn’t a game. You’ve been trying to solve something that’s already been solved.
MARGOT
What the hell are you talking about?
PALE MAN
You all think you're the exception. But you’re not. You’re part of the loop. You’ll never escape.
The ground shakes beneath their feet as SHERIFF BILL HARLOW collapses, his eyes flickering gold.
JONAS KEENE catches him, holding him upright.
JONAS
Bill! Snap out of it!
Harlow’s voice trembles, his words almost not his own.
SHERIFF HARLOW
I… I’m not real. None of us are.
MARGOT VANCE steps forward, grabbing Harlow’s shoulders.
MARGOT
No, you are. This is just another one of their tricks.
But Harlow’s eyes are wide, his face twisted in confusion.
SHERIFF HARLOW
I can’t remember… who I really am.
Jonas’s grip tightens on Harlow’s arm as the Pale Man steps closer, his presence making the town flicker more violently.
PALE MAN
The truth is always buried in lies, isn’t it?
Elliot moves to stand beside Sylvia, looking at the scene before them. His voice is steady, but his hands shake.
ELLIOT
Who are you? What do you want with us?
The Pale Man smiles, slow and cruel.
PALE MAN
You don’t get it, do you? This isn’t a game. You’ve been trying to solve something that’s already been solved.
MARGOT
What the hell are you talking about?
PALE MAN
You all think you're the exception. But you’re not. You’re part of the loop. You’ll never escape.
INT. HALLWAY – DAY (FLASHBACK)
The scene shifts to an older, dusty hallway. Everything is familiar. The same hallway from the clinic. The same symbol drawn in chalk on the floor.
A figure walks down the hall — it's SYLVIA again, but younger. Her expression empty, distant.
She pauses at a door, unlocking it with a single key. The room inside is filled with blinking machines and flickering monitors.
SYLVIA (YOUNGER)
It’s starting again.
A voice from behind her:
PALE MAN (V.O.)
What if you’re the one holding the loop together?
The scene shifts to an older, dusty hallway. Everything is familiar. The same hallway from the clinic. The same symbol drawn in chalk on the floor.
A figure walks down the hall — it's SYLVIA again, but younger. Her expression empty, distant.
She pauses at a door, unlocking it with a single key. The room inside is filled with blinking machines and flickering monitors.
SYLVIA (YOUNGER)
It’s starting again.
A voice from behind her:
PALE MAN (V.O.)
What if you’re the one holding the loop together?
EXT. UPSIDE-DOWN SUNSET VALLEY – NIGHT
Elliot’s eyes widen as the scene vanishes, and he stumbles back to reality. He looks at the Pale Man again.
ELLIOT
What was that?
The Pale Man’s grin widens.
PALE MAN
A little truth buried in a big lie. She’s been part of this from the beginning.
Jonas growls in frustration.
JONAS
Sylvia, what the hell is he talking about?
Sylvia turns to face them. Her face is pale, her voice barely above a whisper.
SYLVIA
I didn’t choose this. I didn’t know…
Elliot steps closer.
ELLIOT
You’ve been helping them?
Sylvia’s lips tremble, but she doesn’t look away.
SYLVIA
I didn’t have a choice.
The Pale Man laughs softly.
PALE MAN
No one does.
Harlow, still on the ground, suddenly grabs his chest again, his body convulsing. His eyes glow brighter, now completely golden.
SHERIFF HARLOW
I—no! I don’t want this!
JONAS
We need to get out of here. NOW.
The Pale Man steps forward, blocking the exit. His voice is chilling.
PALE MAN
You think you can escape? You’re part of it. All of you.
The sky above them ripples, cracks spreading like a web across the horizon.
Elliot, with panic in his eyes, looks to Sylvia.
ELLIOT
Is there any way out of this?
Sylvia shakes her head, tears streaming down her face.
SYLVIA
I’ve tried. We’re all trapped here.
The Pale Man’s smile deepens.
PALE MAN
Trapped? No, my dear. You’re exactly where you’re meant to be.
Suddenly, the town begins to fade. The buildings flicker violently, one by one disappearing.
Elliot’s breath catches. The world around them is dissolving.
ELLIOT
This is it.
Jonas grabs him by the arm.
JONAS
We need to fight back!
MARGOT
We can’t. There’s no way out.
PALE MAN
There never was.
Everything goes black as the town shatters completely.
CUT TO BLACK.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Elliot’s eyes widen as the scene vanishes, and he stumbles back to reality. He looks at the Pale Man again.
ELLIOT
What was that?
The Pale Man’s grin widens.
PALE MAN
A little truth buried in a big lie. She’s been part of this from the beginning.
Jonas growls in frustration.
JONAS
Sylvia, what the hell is he talking about?
Sylvia turns to face them. Her face is pale, her voice barely above a whisper.
SYLVIA
I didn’t choose this. I didn’t know…
Elliot steps closer.
ELLIOT
You’ve been helping them?
Sylvia’s lips tremble, but she doesn’t look away.
SYLVIA
I didn’t have a choice.
The Pale Man laughs softly.
PALE MAN
No one does.
Harlow, still on the ground, suddenly grabs his chest again, his body convulsing. His eyes glow brighter, now completely golden.
SHERIFF HARLOW
I—no! I don’t want this!
JONAS
We need to get out of here. NOW.
The Pale Man steps forward, blocking the exit. His voice is chilling.
PALE MAN
You think you can escape? You’re part of it. All of you.
The sky above them ripples, cracks spreading like a web across the horizon.
Elliot, with panic in his eyes, looks to Sylvia.
ELLIOT
Is there any way out of this?
Sylvia shakes her head, tears streaming down her face.
SYLVIA
I’ve tried. We’re all trapped here.
The Pale Man’s smile deepens.
PALE MAN
Trapped? No, my dear. You’re exactly where you’re meant to be.
Suddenly, the town begins to fade. The buildings flicker violently, one by one disappearing.
Elliot’s breath catches. The world around them is dissolving.
ELLIOT
This is it.
Jonas grabs him by the arm.
JONAS
We need to fight back!
MARGOT
We can’t. There’s no way out.
PALE MAN
There never was.
Everything goes black as the town shatters completely.
CUT TO BLACK.
TO BE CONTINUED…