SUNSET VALLEY
Season 2, Episode 8: "You'll Never Want to Leave"
INT. ELSEWORLDS - NIGHT
Darkness. Then, a flickering light.
The group: ELLIOT, SYLVIA, JONAS, MARGOT, SHERIFF HARLOW & PRISM, run down an endless, shifting hallway inside Elseworlds. The walls stretch and compress like a living organism. The holographic displays around them glitch, showing flashes of different realities, different versions of Sunset Valley, Sunrise Valley, and places they can’t understand.
A voice echoes through the space, layered and distorted.
DISTORTED VOICE
(whispering)
You don’t belong here. You don’t belong anywhere.
A door materializes at the end of the corridor. It glows bright white, an unnatural contrast to the glitching chaos behind them.
PRISM
(panting)
That’s it. That is the way out!
They reach for the handle.
JONAS
(skeptical)
What if it’s just another...
Too late. The door pulls them in.
INT. SUNDOWN VALLEY - TOWN SQUARE - DAY
Suddenly... peace. The group finds themselves standing in the middle of a beautiful town square. The sky is clear blue, the sun warm against their skin. People stroll by, chatting, laughing, enjoying their day.
A signpost in front of them reads:
WELCOME TO SUNDOWN VALLEY
MARGOT
(breathless)
Oh my God.
ELLIOT
(looking around, disoriented)
Where the hell are we now?
For the first time since they entered this "adventure", the town feels... real. Unlike Sunset Valley. Unlike Sunrise Valley. Unlike Elseworlds. It feels normal.
SHERIFF HARLOW
(whispering)
We’re out.
They exchange glances, taking in the town’s charm. The streets are quaint, the storefronts inviting, the air filled with the scent of fresh coffee and baked bread.
SYLVIA
(slowly)
It’s over.
PRISM
It is. And I want to thank y'all for letting me join you. It's been a pleasure but it's time for me to go. I need to find my way home. Hope y'all enjoy being outside the hold of that messed up game. Maybe we'll meet again. Goodbye, everyone.
EVERYONE
Bye, Prism. And thank YOU for helping us.
Prism leaves and heads out. The group decides to wander.
MONTAGE - THE NEXT FEW DAYS
The group settles into Sundown Valley. They get rooms at a local inn, eat real meals, sleep in actual beds for the first time in what feels like forever.
Margot finds a bookstore, running her fingers over the spines of books. She smiles, something she hasn’t done in a long time.
Jonas sits by a lake, watching the water ripple. No distortions. No loops. Just peace.
Sheriff Harlow walks through town, tipping his hat to locals who wave back. It’s simple. Normal.
Elliot and Sylvia drink coffee on a quiet street corner, their guards finally lowering.
EXT. SUNDOWN VALLEY - TOWN SQUARE - NIGHT
The group gathers by the fountain, watching the sunset.
ELLIOT
(grinning)
This place is actually kinda nice.
JONAS
(nods)
We just booked our tickets home. Can't believe this is real.
SYLVIA
(smirking)
We're going HOME!
A comfortable silence. The sky darkens, stars beginning to appear. For the first time in a long time, there’s no tension.
INT. ELLIOT’S ROOM - NIGHT
Elliot lies in bed, staring at the ceiling, letting himself believe this is real.
But then...
A SOFT HUM.
His eyes flicker open. The sound is subtle, barely there.
He sits up, scanning the room. Nothing’s wrong. But the feeling is back. That nagging sense that something is off.
He glances at the alarm clock on the nightstand. It reads:
3:33 AM
Then it glitches.
For a fraction of a second, the numbers flash:
LEVEL 3
Elliot’s breath catches. His hands tremble.
ELLIOT
(whispering)
No.
The hum grows louder. The world outside the window shimmers, barely noticeable but there.
Elliot stumbles to his feet, breathing heavily, feeling the weight of realization crushing him.
EXT. SUNDOWN VALLEY - MORNING
The town is bustling again. People smiling. A perfect morning.
Margot, Sylvia, Jonas, and Sheriff Harlow meet outside the café, refreshed, happy.
JONAS
(stretching)
I slept like a rock.
MARGOT
(grinning)
Can't believe today is the day we fly home.
SYLVIA
(laughing)
No more weirdness. No more loops. Just us.
Elliot arrives: pale, shaken, barely holding it together.
ELLIOT
(urgent)
Guys. We need to talk.
They all turn to him, confused.
ELLIOT
(panicked)
Something’s wrong.
SHERIFF HARLOW
(frowning)
What are you talking about?
ELLIOT
(whispering)
It’s still happening. The loop. We’re not out.
The group stares at him, blindsided.
SYLVIA
(softly)
Elliot…
ELLIOT
(frantic)
Listen to me. My clock glitched. It said “LEVEL 3.” This isn’t real. It’s just another version of...
A voice interrupts.
THE CLOAKED MAN (O.S.)
(low, amused)
Ah, Elliot. Always the first to notice.
The group whips around.
The Cloaked Man stands near the fountain, smiling.
He steps forward, hands in his pockets, tilting his head slightly.
THE CLOAKED MAN
(smirking)
Y'all are so pathetic to think I'd have a door just sitting there to bring you guys home.
The world around them shimmers again, just for a second. The air warps. The sky flickers.
Jonas’ expression shifts from confusion to horror.
JONAS
(whispering)
Oh my God.
SYLVIA
(screaming)
What did you do to Prism?
THE CLOAKED MAN
(laughing)
Oh, you haven't figured that out yet?
MARGOT
(whispering)
It's you. You're Prism.
The man chuckles, removing the cloak from his head.
PRISM
(smirking and clapping)
Well done, Margot! Welcome to Level 3, y'all.
And with that, he turns and walks away, disappearing into the crowd.
The group stands frozen, the horrifying truth settling in.
They didn’t break the loop.
They're just deeper into it.
FADE TO BLACK.