Paradise Lost 

EXT. INSECT NEST - NIGHT

A mountainous structure, looming in the dark, framed by stars 
in the night sky.

Three insect-like silhouettes creep away from the nest, one 
of them much larger than the other two.

                      DOLPH (V.O.)
          Are we there yet?

                      MANNY (V.O.)
          No!


EXT. GARDEN - IN AMONG HIGH GRASS - DAY

We're down at ground level, where the insects live.

Somewhere in the distance, the growling angry buzz of a LAWN 
MOWER.

MANNY sticks his head up from behind a huge boulder, which 
to us humans would be a small stone.  He is a handsome fellow, 
for an insect.

He looks left and right, making sure it's safe, his antennae 
quivering.  Seemingly satisfied, he steps out from behind 
the boulder, revealing his segmented insect body with six 
legs.  His chitin (body armor) is tomato red and shiny.

Two other insects follow him, DOLPH and SCUTTLE, similarly 
red.  Dolph is a huge warrior, twice as big as Manny.  Scuttle 
is a nervous little guy who prefers tending aphids to 
fighting, but he's got a sharp nose.  His antennae vibrate.

                      SCUTTLE
          She came this way, I'm sure of it.

                      MANNY
          How long ago?

                      SCUTTLE
          Before the great hot dung ball rose 
          into the sky.

                      MANNY
          Which way did she go?

Scuttle quests around, looking in different directions.

                      SCUTTLE
          That's funny.

                      MANNY
          What is? 

                      SCUTTLE
          She met someone here.

                      MANNY
          Met someone?

                      SCUTTLE
          I can't get a clear scent, there's 
          too much pollen.

Scuttle sneezes like a human would sneeze.

                      MANNY
          Great dung ball bless you.

                      SCUTTLE
          Thank you.

                      DOLPH
          This is further than I have ever 
          been from the nest.  We should go 
          back.

                      MANNY
          Yeah?  You can go back if you want.  
          I'm going to keep looking.  Scuts?

                      SCUTTLE
          You hear that?

The lawn mower is louder... getting closer.  To insect-sized 
creatures it must sound monstrous, terrifying... and so it 
should be.

                      MANNY
          What is it?

                      DOLPH
          I do not like this.

They all look up as a huge shadow falls over them, blotting 
out the light.  The mower noise becomes DEAFENING.  A giant 
wheel plows through nearby grass.  The shadow creature, which 
is the human operating the lawn mower, is the size of a 
mountain to the insects, its features blurred by distance.

Cropped grass showers the insects like an avalanche, burying 
them.  Then the lawn mower, and its huge shadowy operator, 
moves on.  The deafening mower noise recedes.

Silence... then the carpet of cropped grass moves... the 
insects surface, shaking it off.

                      MANNY
          Does anyone have any idea what just 
          happened?

                      DOLPH
          The gods are angry with us.  We have 
          come too far. 

                      SCUTTLE
          Don't start with that religious crap.  
          The shadow creatures aren't gods, 
          they're just bigger than us.  Just 
          because we can't understand what 
          they do, doesn't make them gods.

                      MANNY
          I never knew you were against 
          religion.

                      SCUTTLE
          I'm sick of having it forced down 
          our throats.  It's how the queen and 
          her priests rule over us.

                      DOLPH
          You watch your mouth, hey.

Manny makes calming gestures with his forelegs. 

                      MANNY
          Whoa, whoa.  Let's remember what 
          we're here for, okay?  Scuts?  Your 
          best guess.

                      SCUTTLE
          What with the pollen, and now this 
          grass... everything's been 
          obliterated.  But I think they set 
          off in that direction.

He nods, indicating said direction, into unmown grass.

                      MANNY
          That's good enough for me.  Listen 
          up, both of you.  You've come this 
          far with me, and I appreciate your 
          company.  But I'm going on alone.

                      DOLPH
          Are you sure?

                      MANNY
          As sure as I'll ever be.

                      SCUTTLE
          What if she doesn't want you to find 
          her?

                      MANNY
          That's just nuts, what are you saying?

                      SCUTTLE
          I told you she met someone here.  
          There's no blood, no acid splashes, 
          no antennae.  Nothing to indicate 
          there was a fight, or anybody got 
          eaten.

                      MANNY
          Meaning?

                      SCUTTLE
          Maybe they were expecting her. 

                      MANNY
          You're saying, you're saying she 
          arranged to meet them here.  Whoever 
          "them" is.

                      SCUTTLE
          I can't say for sure.

                      DOLPH
          Could it be someone from our nest?

                      SCUTTLE
          I suppose so, but when I talked to 
          the doorman, he said he counted 
          everybody back in again.  He never 
          makes a mistake.

                      MANNY
          Then who--? 

                      MEGAPHONE VOICE
          Stay where you are!

Dozens of warrior insects swarm out of hiding, surrounding 
them.  These brutes are the same size as Dolph but have black 
chitin body armor.

                      SCUTTLE
          It's a trap!

                      DOLPH
          They'll never take me alive!

Dolph charges the black insects but they grab him with their 
mandibles and haul him off the ground and sting him and sting 
him until Dolph stops struggling and hangs limp.  The black 
insects let his lifeless body drop.

                      MANNY
          Dolph, no...

The leader of the black insects, BRUTUS, steps forward. 

                      BRUTUS
          Anybody else want to be a hero?

                      MANNY
          What do you want with us?  We're 
          still in our own territory.

                      BRUTUS
          Idiot, you crossed into OUR territory.  
          Turn back, or die.  This is your 
          only warning.

Scuttle looks at Manny, perhaps hoping Manny will say okay.  
But Manny shakes his head.

                      MANNY
          I'm not going back until I find her.

Brutus looks at Scuttle.  Scuttle shakes his head, too.

                      SCUTTLE
          I'm staying with my friend. 

                      BRUTUS
          It's your funeral.

The black warrior insects close in on Manny and Scuttle.

                      QUINTA
          Stop!

QUINTA stands on top of a rock.  Beautiful, gleaming red.  
The Scarlett Johansson of the insect world.  Everyone looks 
up at her.  Manny is enraptured by the sight of her.

                      BRUTUS
          Kill them!

His warriors surge forward, mandibles snapping. 

                      FERDY
          She said stop!

FERDY, a black insect dude who wears a yellow nugget of poop 
on top of his head, has joined Quinta on the rock.  There is 
something majestic about him and it's not just the nugget.

Brutus hesitates for a moment, then steps back.  The other 
black warrior insects do the same.  Scuttle almost collapses 
with relief. 

                      FERDY
          Do you know these insects?

                      QUINTA
          They're friends of mine.
               (to Manny)
          Why did you follow me?  Did I not 
          tell you I couldn't stay in the nest 
          any more?

                      MANNY
          You did, but...

                      QUINTA
               (puzzled)
          But what? 

                      MANNY
          I was worried about you.  I had to 
          make sure you were alright.

                      QUINTA
          As you can see, I'm fine.

                      MANNY
          Yes, but...

Quinta cocks her head to one side, perhaps hoping for more 
from Manny.

                      FERDY
          He has feelings for you.

                      MANNY
          Hey, you keep out of this, I'm talking 
          to her.

Brutus looks up at Ferdy, querying whether Ferdy wants him 
to kill Manny.  But Ferdy shakes his head.

                      FERDY
               (to Quinta)
          Go talk to him.  Convince him you 
          are not in any danger.

Quinta turns around and climbs down, out of sight.  She 
appears from around the back of the boulder and walks up to 
Manny.  Their antennae are close... but do not touch.  As 
much as Manny might want them to.

                      QUINTA
          I didn't expect you to come after me.

                      MANNY
          Then you don't know me very well.

She glances at Dolph.

                      QUINTA
          He would still be alive if you hadn't.

                      MANNY
          You know Dolph.  He wouldn't take no 
          for an answer.

                      QUINTA
          And neither do you.  But you have 
          to.

Manny looks up at Ferdy, on top of the rock.

                      MANNY
          How did you meet?

                      QUINTA
          I was foraging.  Suddenly there he 
          was, watching me.  I was afraid, but 
          then I wasn't.  I knew I wasn't in 
          any danger.

                      MANNY
          He's from another nest.  You should 
          be dead.

                      QUINTA
          Yet I'm not.

Manny glares up at Ferdy.  Ferdy ignores him and cleans his 
antennae with his forelegs.

                      MANNY
          Did he...?  Have you...?

                      QUINTA
          Manny, the queen knows I'm a 
          potential.  She was going to send 
          her priests to devour me.  One nest, 
          one queen.  That's how it must be.

                      MANNY
          You could have flown away and started 
          your own nest.  I would have come 
          with you.  As your consort.

Quinta steps closer and gently strokes Manny's head with her 
antennae. 

                      QUINTA
          Oh Manny, I'm sorry, I never knew.

                      MANNY
          Yeah well, that's because you're 
          dumb.

They both chuckle... then Quinta sighs and steps back.

                      QUINTA
          I'll think of you.
               (to Scuttle)
          And you, Scuts.

Scuttle bows his head, a final farewell to a friend.  Quinta 
turns and moves away, leaving Manny staring after her.

Up on the rock, Ferdy gestures.  The black warrior insects 
retreat and vanish into the undergrowth.  Brutus gives a 
"Huh!" snort, telling Manny what he thinks of him.  Then he 
vanishes, too.  Manny and Scuttle are alone.

                      SCUTTLE
          I could have taken him.

                      MANNY
          Yeah, I know.  You think she'll be 
          happy?

                      SCUTTLE
          She didn't look unhappy.

Dolph suddenly jerks alive.

                      DOLPH
          Wha?  Huh?

                      SCUTTLE
          Great ball of dung!  He's alive!

They run to Dolph and help him to stand up.

                      DOLPH
          Are we going home yet?

Manny takes one final look at the rock, empty now.

                      MANNY
          We're going home, Dolph.

THE END