Script

Ext. Mountaintop - Night

A lone peak stands in the dreary rain. It towers above the scattered, dim lights of a town below.

Perched atop it are the ruins of a castle, crudely patched up with wood and loose stones. An occasional burst of blue light illuminates a man standing near a window.

INT. Castle - Night

A young WIZARD leans against a column, staring out and idly summoning a floating ball of faint blueish light. He wears tattered robes, and his long red hair is an unkempt mess. Dark circles stand out harshly against his pale skin.

An unmade bed lies near his feet. The occasional drop of water drips into the room. A gold-bound book filled with arcane symbols is splayed open near the bed. The rest of the large hall is strikingly empty.

The wizard looks longingly down at the town below. Though distant, the fires and lamps look far warmer than the unearthly blue light in the castle. A raindrop--or perhaps it is a tear--slides down the wizard's face.

The wizard turns abruptly from the window.

He raises his hand, and smoke streams out from it. The smoke billows across the hall into the form of a cottage and congeals.

It is still very slightly translucent, but otherwise is a perfect simulacrum.

The wizard repeats this process, creating a few more cottages, a little inn, some stables. Apart from the light and lack of people, it looks a charming little village nestled within the hall.

He surveys the scene for a moment. He lifts his hand, contorts his face in concentration, and a few flames pop into lamps and fireplaces.

The wizard walks to the first cottage he created. He pauses a second, listening to the muffled sound of a family inside. He steps towards the door.

Int. Illusionary Cottage Living room - Night

The wizard steps into a comfortable furnished living room. A fire roars in the hearth. Hanging on one wall is a portrait of a family of four, all with the wizard's red hair.

The sounds of the family eating filters through one of the doors. The wizard steps towards that door. As he about to open it:

Father

...and we showed them we'd have none of their witchcaft in our town.

The wizard jerks away from the door. He turns, hustling towards another door.

INT. ILLUSIONARY COTTAGE Bedroom - NIGHT

The wizard steps into what was obviously a boy's bedroom and collapses, leaning on the bed.pull

With practiced ease, the wizard pushes the bed a bit to the side. He pulls up a lose floorboard. Underneath is the same arcane book that lay near his bed in the castle.

He looks back towards the living room. He can hear his family laughing. Looks back at the book

He reaches for it. The second the wizard's hand touches the book, the illusion shifts.

Ext. Illusionary Nightmarescape - Night

He is kneeling on the ground in a distorted, red-shifted version of the village square, surrounded by a faceless horde.

The father looms over him, looking hearbroken but stern.

FATHER

(voice distored, barely comprehendable)

Go. Just...go.

The crowd begins to close in. The wizard pulls himself to his feet. He runs through the crowd, passing through them like ghosts, towards an illusionary image of a mountain.

INT. CASTLE - NIGHT

Once clear of the illusionary crowd, the wizard lifts a fist. He opens his hand, and the town crumbles and dissolves back into smoke.

Only faint moonlight illuminates the castle hall. The wizard stumbles towards his bed, collapapses.

The rain stops. The wizard sobs very faintly. He slowly lifts a hand, and a faint blue ball of light appears.

It is just the slightest bit warmer than before.

FADE OUT