1 INT. COTTAGE, BEDROOM. WESTERN ISLES - DAWN DAY 1 (06:11) 1

We float in the darkness. We can barely make out where we

are. Somewhere in our mind we can hear the distant sound of

footsteps, whispers that seem to race forward and past us,

muffled arguments and cries that circle and fade like some

harrying birds of prey above. We also hear a constant,

strange, low, electric pulsing hum that builds as we hover

towards a sleeping figure, only just discernible in the

darkness, CLAIRE CHURCH (40). As we move closer and closer to

her the mounting discordant cacophony of sound gains a new

metre, CLAIRE’s rising and falling breath - though it somehow

sounds disembodied from her as it gets faster and stronger.

We glide over her body and face until...

CLAIRE’s eyes suddenly open wide. She’s clammy, febrile,

nauseous but awake, escaped, searching for her place in the

real world.

A breeze blows through the open window: the last vestiges of

moonlight illuminating NORRIE DUNCAN (late 30s) sprawled out,

asleep by her side. It is so early it's still night. We can

hear the sea in the background.

2 EXT. COTTAGE. WESTERN ISLES - DAWN DAY 1 (06:13) 2

We hear a door swing to. Two trainer clad feet step onto the

path as CLAIRE stands outside the tiny cottage surrounded by

the sleeping wild hills of the island, the wind buffeting

her. It’s so early it’s still night but across the hills to

the East the slightest show of sun can be seen rising up over

the mountains.

And that’s what CLAIRE makes for as she runs.

OPENING CREDIT SEQUENCE

3 EXT. WESTERN ISLES - DAY 1 (07:09) 3

We see CLAIRE running hard over marsh, rock and hill. Her

breathing hard but controlled.

As she runs we intercut with the thoughts she’s trying to

chase out of her head: disorienting and disturbing snippets

of the dream she wants to put behind her. So between the

solidity of her feet hitting the earth on the island, we hard

cut to:

4 EXT. WASTELAND, MANCHESTER - NIGHT (DREAMSCAPE) 4

We catch glimpses of shadowy figures at the side of the road,

glowing cigarette butts in railway arches and mocking

laughter/muffled conversation.

FROM DARKNESS EPISODE ONE

The glare of a LORRY’s headlights, its horn blasting as it

passes.

Scuttling litter in the gutter: porno mags, takeaway cartons

and an old shoe.

A street worker - lit in lurid fluorescent cafe light.

A man and a woman tearing at each other’s clothes before sex;

we do not see who nor can we place them particularly (but

it’s CLAIRE & JOHN IN THE HOTEL ROOM).

Each snippet is punctuated by CLAIRE’s running that is hard

and strong, motivated by her determination to escape these

thoughts. The flashes themselves are short and lack narrative

as we are in CLAIRE’s head. She knows the story behind them

and as soon as they emerge CLAIRE is fighting to shut them

down.

Finally we see a snippet of:

A crying woman (a prostitute) on the street, although the

image is so jumbled and in our face we can barely make it out

now. And strangely there is no sound with it. Just silence.

Then a baby’s scream.

BLACKNESS.

5 EXT. COAST. WESTERN ISLES - DAY 1 (07:16) 5

We hear a deep breath, someone sucking the life back into

themselves after real physical exertion: relieved, reigning

themselves back in, surfacing...

CLAIRE opens her eyes. She is stood in her running gear, bent

over, hands on knees exhausted, looking out at the easterly

most point of the island. The first rays of the day, her

total exhaustion and isolation all reassurance and proof that

she is here now, the past and her dreams need no longer

exist. This is her reality.

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