LESHIYE & LumiN

INT. TRUCK. TOMSK, RUSSIA - NIGHT

LUMIN (45), sits in the driver's seat. her neat black hair tucked into a bun while her ornate red dress is held tight to her body by a seat belt. Her eyes attentive to the road, hands held at ten and two on the steering wheel. A logging symposium gift bag lays on the passenger seat.

LUMIN

Ya skoro budu doma. Seychas ya prokhozhu cherez Severskiy natsional'nyy парк.

(I will be home soon. I am passing through Seversky National Park now.)

The muffled voice of A CHILD can be heard replying through the car's speakers.

Lumin smiles, laugh lines form around her tan mouth.

LUMIN

Da. Da. Ya prochitayu cam istoriy, kogda vernus' domoy.

(Yes. Yes. I will read you a story when I get home.)

Softer mumbling.

Lumin's smile widens.

LUMIN

Da. Narodnyye skazki, kotoryye vam nravyatsya.Otdokhni poka.

(Yes. The folk tales you like. Take a rest for now.)

Soft silence followed by a gentle yawn through the speakers.

LUMIN

Ya tebya lyublyu.

(I love you.)

Reaching a hand forward, she clicks the digital car screen and ends the call. The dash now blinking with white illumination, reading the time at exactly 11:11pm.

The road around her truck is thick with dark towering trees. A guard rail reflects the headlights as she speeds down the empty road. In the distance the sky is lit grey, the moon hidden behind thick clouds.

Using the rear-view mirror Lumin gives a quick glance to her face. Decorated with bright red lipstick and mascara, she looks younger than she would on a normal night.

Taking her left hand from the wheel, she begins wiping off the lipstick with the sleeve of her dress.

A blur of white whips out suddenly on the road ahead.

Lumin YANKS the wheel.

STOMPING on the brakes.

But it is too late.

Whatever has run into the road IMPACTS the hood of the car.

Glass shatters as Lumin's face hits the deploying airbag.

EXT. TAIGA FOREST - NIGHT. 11:25PM

Fade in:

Headlights twinkle in and out of focus, broken lights wavering on a large tree three feet ahead.

The sound of a SQUEALING radiator and engine GROAN before giving out completely.

Some THING else can be heard SCREAMING.

The fading rays of the headlights barely show a writhing form in the distance to the side of the tree. Black tendrils writhing and snapping in the air as it SHRIEKS.

WAILS of agony bellow in the thick night air.

Mist begins rolling in, cloaking the creature.

The SCREAMING suddenly stops.

SILENCE.

Then, soft human breathing.

The forest comes alive, a chorus of animal noise on top of branches CRACKING like the sound of ribs.

All the while, a VOICE rumbles through the growing wind.

FOREST

Zhizn' za zhizn'.

(Life for life.)

The car lights vanish, plunging the woods into darkness.

INT. TRUCK.

Lumin's eyes stare straight ahead, her face only lit by the soft glow of the vehicle dash. Outside the vehicle is alive with barely perceivable movement. Shapes in the dark BRISTLE and BOUNCE off the sides and roof of the truck.

Metal SHRIEKS as the truck's hood is suddenly ripped free.

Moonlight glistens in the sudden haze of engine fumes as they fill the air in front of the windshield.

Lumin, panicked, reaches for the call feature on the dash. But as the call chime fills the cabin of the car, her door is torn open. Before she can even see her assailant, Lumin crawls through the web of her seatbelt, dragging herself across the passenger seat to reach for the door handle. Inky tendrils attack her ankles from the darkness outside, resembling thorny vines as they slice into her skin.

CHIME.

Screaming, Lumin bucks and kicks her stilettos into the face of the unseen attacker.

A HOWL of pain sounds as the vines loosen and Lumin struggles the rest of the way free. A hard gust of wind blowing in her face as she opens the passenger door.

CHIME.

The voice of the forest BOOMS now.

FOREST

(Angry)

ZHIZN' ZA ZHIZN'.

Lumin's eyes try to search the darkness beyond the door but find no hint of landmark or ground. Whipping her head back at her open driver door, she can only see five sets of blazing eyes fixated on her.

CHIME.

The call connects.

CHILD

(Sleepy)

Mama, chto ne tak?

(Mom, what's wrong?)

The tendrils shoot forward again, Lumin throwing the gift bag in the way to block them. Then, throws herself out of the vehicle.

EXT. TAIGA FOREST - NIGHT. 11:40PM.

Fade in:

Darkness, only clouded rays from the crescent moon light the treetops. A thicket of Larch trees' sway in a harsh wind, their CREAKING bark and SCRITHING leaves the only sound currently in focus.

After a few seconds, the moon shifts into view through the cloudy starless sky, a pale ray of light showing the form of a wounded woman with her back to a tree.

Lumin is clutching her bleeding shoulder, her other hand cups her mouth. She is holding back terrified GASPS as her eyes dart around suspicious of every sound. Her heart POUNDS thunderously in her chest. The sound now audible along with her hushed breath and the leaves.

The sound of a TWIG BREAKING in the distance draws Lumin's gaze, jolting her to stiffen her back against the tree. West. Lumin looks down at the small trail of blood she has left in her wake through the woods. She came from the East.

Another twig breaks.

Lumin crouches, more bruises and scrapes visible under the hemline of her loose red dress. Slowly, she calms her breath again. Near silence now. Lumin's dilated eyes scan the woods around her. But there is nothing but dark shadows cast by the moon. No sign of life.

Soft YIPPING suddenly fills the air, from all directions the sound of the hunt reverberates. Throaty BELLOWS and WOOTS, the woods now teeming with noise.

Lumin's hand drops from her mouth as she darts forward away from the tree and in the direction of West, towards the crescent moon. Her bare feet THUD against the dirt, wood chips and debris dig into her skin. The muscles in her jaw are tight, eyes determined and narrow as they analyze each loose stone and tree stump that blocks her path. Leaping and dodging, all too aware of the growing howls around her. Shortparis-Новокузнецк plays in her head, each THRASHING BASS and DRUM FLARE matching with her journey through the woods, in search of salvation or escape.

The melody of the chase bringing the whole forest to life. Lumin GRUNTS as she thunders through underbrush and low branches. Those hunting her, WHOOP and YIP from either direction of the dense woods.

Lumin's eyes are locked forward, but on either side of her shapes are visible through the brush. Quick and agile, they begin closing in on her as she runs full speed.

A HOLLER of ecstasy sounds behind Lumin just before she leaps over a fallen tree, only to find herself falling through the air over a steep twenty-foot drop. Her red dress fluttering in the sudden wind.

As she falls, moonlight bounces off the bone white face of a figure that slides to a stop at the tree, peering down at Lumin from the hilltop.

Lumin can not help but SCREAM as her body IMPACTS the wet ground, her arms outstretched take the brunt of the fall. There is a loud SNAP as her already wounded left arm now has the ragged tip of a bone protruding through it. Fresh blood pours out of her ripped forearm, aglow in the moonlight as it trickles down her fingertips into the small stream. Not sparing the figure still standing on the steep hill a glance. Lumin rips the sleeve of her dress, quickly wrapping it around the broken arm and compressing the wound. Her eyes seem to glow as her nose flares and teeth CRACKLE under the pressure in her mouth. She manages to stop the bleeding. But her left arm is practically useless now.

Standing she looks behind her and up the hill, at the tree stump stands FIVE FIGURES now. Their bodies completely misted in darkness, except for the shape of their faces. An array of animal skulls, bleach white, their eye sockets lit by faint green light.

Lumin watches them, cupping her left arm as the figures in unison sway their heads back and let out an array of HUNGRY noises.

Lumin is breathing hard now, droplets of sweat making their way down her brow despite the night's chill air. Her breathing is out of control, causing little puffs of white fog around her mouth as she watches the figures fade back into the woods above. It appears they're not willing to make the twenty-foot drop to catch her, but there's likely another path down.

EXT. TAIGA FOREST - NIGHT. 11:50PM

The moon hangs in the distant West sky, still illuminating the old woods below. Lumin's red dress is visible through the treetops. A splotch of red life in the darkness of trees. Faint light is beginning to become visible in the distance, the yellow glow of candlelight in a window.

Lumin pauses for a second as her eyes adjust the approaching light in the distance, her sweaty face showing a moment of relief. Running up to the door her right hand begins POUNDING on the glass door.

EXT. CABIN - NIGHT

THUD! THUD! THUD!

LUMIN

(Shouting)

Privet? Privet?! Kto-nibud' doma?!

(Hello? Hello? Is anyone home?!)

SILENCE.

Lumin puts her face to the glass, but beyond is a thick curtain with only a flickering candle perceivable behind it.

Lumin's hot breath fogs the glass.

She reaches out her bloody right hand and tries to pull open the door.

Locked.

The fogged glass reflects Lumin's face. Eastern features exaggerated by fear and exhaustion.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

Her hand attacks the door again. Finally, there is movement inside.

EXT. TAIGA FOREST, HILLTOP - NIGHT

Fade in:

The only object visible is a pair of glowing green eyes. Faint and humming like the glow of a firefly. Slowly, the light extends over the boney snout of a deer, its fleshless nose letting out HUFFS of breath.

Movement.

The creature is running now, gliding through the forest. The sound of its hooves IMPACTING stone and grass echo through the air along with its HEAVY BREATHING.

Quick foggy breaths puff into the sky as the creature runs into a clearing of trees.

In the distance, a small cabin can be seen.

A woman in a red dress is framed in a doorway of soft yellow luminescence.

EXT. CABIN - NIGHT.11:57PM.

The door slowly slides open, curtain pulled back to reveal a stout OLD WOMAN, her face a webwork of wrinkles and grogginess.

For a brief moment Lumin stares down at the old woman then back at the woods behind her. Clutches her stomach, Lumin feels the wetness of blood and water against her palm.

Her eyebrows crease together as she regards the old woman again, locking gazes with her as the forest's words ring in her head.

FOREST (V.O)

Zhizn' za zhizn'.

The old woman stares up at Lumin, her eyes showing worry rather than concern for her own safety.

OLD WOMAN

(Worried)

Chto sluchilos'? U tebya vse normal 'no?

(What happened? Are you okay?)

Suddenly, the hair on the back of Lumin's neck raises as a HOWL so loud it vibrates the glass door rings through the air.

Lumin's eyes widen.

Lumin flexes her bloody right hand, fingers extending and curling into a fist beside the waist of her dress. Her muscles and heart POUND heavily in Lumin's ears, another second passing as she looks at the fragile old woman.

Scowling, Lumin pushes the woman out of her way and rushes inside the dimly lit cabin.

INT. CABIN - NIGHT.

Stumbling into the simple cabin home, her eyes search the room, Lumin's gaze landing on the kitchen - the fridge.

OLD WOMAN

(Annoyed)

Ubiraysya! Chto ty delayesh', devochka?

(Get out! What are you doing, girl?!)

Lumin's bare muddy feet THWAP against the wooden floor as she runs towards the fridge, YANKING it open. The soft blue electric light startles her eyes and Lumin looks away for a second.

The old woman stares at Lumin before turning her attention to the woods outside.

The fridge HUMS as Lumin searches through its stuffed shelves.

The old woman steps outside, the sound of trees CRACKING in the wind is audible through the open door.

Pushing aside a container of milk, Lumin smiles as she finds a simple wire basket full of fresh eggs. Carefully, she reaches out her trembling right hand and scoops up the basket. The fridge light shows the array of scrapes, blood, and dirt that clings to Lumin's hand.

Clutching the container to her chest, Lumin runs back towards the door. The old woman is standing outside, staring up at the trees and the FIVE TALL FIGURES who stand there.

EXT. CABIN - NIGHT.

OLD WOMAN

Leshiye... Leshiye...

She repeats, saying the words with the same reverence someone would utter the name of God during a prayer. The old woman lowers herself slowly to her knees, pressing her palms flat on the paving stones beneath her, bowing her head to the figures.

Swaying in the breeze are the now gigantic forms of the hunters, the Leshiye, five bone faced creatures who now look down on Lumin and the old woman.

Their bodies stretch as tall as the trees behind them, each one moss covered and looking to be made of pinecones, stone, and animal bones.

Decaying animal claws CLACK on the brick pathway to the cabin. Soft GROWLS fill the air, barely audible over the sound of the ROARING forest.

Taking a deep breath, Lumin steps forward, placing herself in front of the old woman who seems to be frozen in place. Lumin holds the wire basket forward on the palms of both her hands, her face wincing with agony.

Lumin's left arm is bleeding again, small droplets of blood splashing at her feet.

Like the sound of SPLITTING wood, the five figures begin to shrink. Their glowing green eyes regarding Lumin, now equal to her height. They look down at the array of eggs, their pure white forms stand out against Lumin's bloody hands, reflecting the radiance of the Leshiye's eyes.

Lumin holds her breath...

Each Leshiye bows their heads, one after another - their animal bone face SPLIT open. Revealing what looks to be the faces of five old men, if said old men were made of dirt and grass.

Lumin stifles a terrified breath.

Gently, the nearest of the creatures plucks out an egg, holding it between its river stone teeth and sharing a final powerful look into Lumin's eyes. The Leshy’s foggy breath rolls out around the egg and into Lumin's face. Then, pulling away, it retreats into the woods. Without regard to Lumin or the woman cowering behind her, the other creatures follow suit.

The forest settles down, stillness returning to nature.

A soft breeze blows a strand of Lumin's hair across her face, her eyes still locked on the barely visible backs of the Leshiye as they return to the woods.

The soft wind carrying their whispers.

FOREST (V.O)

(Whispering)

Zhizn' za zhizn'.