Cliffhanger Page #4

GABE:

(loud, in control)

Hold on. I'm coming out to get you.

Gabe gently pulls himself up on the line, crosses his ankles

on it, and clips himself on with a three foot safety line.

Gabe starts smoothly, quickly pulling himself out, but --

SUSAN:

is in trouble -- the bobbing of the line from Gabe's weight

and the winds are making her lose her grip even more --

GABE:

urgently pulls himself along the line faster, trying not to

shake the line. As he gets closer and closer to a terrified

Susan, his eyes lock on hers --

GABE:

Keep looking at me. Hold on --

WIDER ANGLE:

Gabe is only ten feet away from --

SUSAN:

who stares at Gabe, petrified -- this focus is helping, but

her strength is just about gone --

INSERT - THE CLIP

The knot has worked itself halfway through -- it doesn't make

any difference how tight she holds on to the harness, the

harness itself is letting go --

ON GABE:

who knows it and pulls himself the rest of the way, a little

faster, almost bridging the gap --

ON SUSAN:

staring desperately at Gabe, holding on --

INSERT - THE TOP CLIP

that's keeping Susan alive surrenders the knot -- it passes

through, and

SUSAN:

falls --

GABE:

deliberately lets go of the main line and launches himself

at Susan --

THEIR HANDS:

miss --

ANGLE ON BOTH:

Gabe's three foot safety line pulls taut, testing the limits

of the line above as it yanks him back --

GABE'S POV - SUSAN

is just out of reach -- her hand is still stretched out, her

eyes still locked on

GABE:

who can only look down, swaying helplessly on the wire as

Susan's SCREAM starts --

ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE

Frank and Maggie look down in horror, but neither look as

anguished as Hal --

LONG SHOT - SUSAN

falling -- falling -- falling -- looking very small against

the vast mountain range --

SUSAN'S POV - FALLING

from this height takes the longest nineteen seconds you can

imagine --

GABE:

twists from his safety line, spinning helplessly -- he wants

to, but can't, shut his eyes --

GABE'S POV - THE CHASM

Susan is gone. Her SCREAM, cut short, echoes -- the "safety"

harness spirals down after her like a carefree bird --

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