UNBROKEN

Text ©2003 Roger E. Moore (roger70129@aol.com)
Daria and associated characters are ©2003 MTV Networks


Feedback (good, bad, indifferent, just want to bother me, whatever) is 
appreciated. Please write to: roger70129@aol.com

Synopsis: Sandi Griffin's life is changed in a dramatic way--but what path 
will she choose from here?

Author's Notes: The events in this script take place after the "Daria" TV 
movie, "Is It College Yet?" The story begins in mid-August, during Daria's 
last summer at home before she heads off to college in Boston, and before 
Quinn and her friends become high-school seniors.


INT = Interior scene
EXT = Exterior scene
VO = Voice over (off screen)


1. INT: SATURDAY MORNING, DARIA'S BEDROOM, MORGENDORFFER HOME

We float in through the window in Daria's room on the wall across from her 
door, to eventually view Daria from the front. Daria Morgendorffer, her hair 
mussed and still wearing a long maroon nightshirt (with the face of Einstein 
on the front), is typing on her computer. It is late morning; a digital clock 
on her desk shows it is 10:35 a.m. The phone on her desk rings as she types, 
and she picks up the receiver without taking her eyes off the screen. A split 
screen shows Quinn Morgendorffer, Daria's younger sister, at an airport 
payphone. Behind her is a huge airport window, through which can be seen a 
large passenger jet taxiing up to the terminal. A sign overhead points the 
way to gate 21, and a large ad on a wall nearby says, "Visit Lawndale 
Airport's Great Gift Shops!"

DARIA: [deadpan throughout] Morgendorffers.

QUINN: Daria, it's me. Are you online right now?

DARIA: Who is this "me"?

QUINN: Quinn, your sister!

DARIA: For security purposes, what's your last name?

QUINN: Daria, I don't have time for this! I need for you to go to the 
Mid-American Skylines website and see if flight five-thirteen from Miami to 
Lawndale is on time or delayed, all right? Just do that for me. I need to 
know now.

DARIA: Can't you find a TV with arrival times on it?

QUINN: I'm in a part of the airport where there aren't any. [looks behind her 
at a TV with flight arrival times] I really need to check if her flight's 
delayed. I'm getting hungry. Plus, I forgot what time exactly she's getting 
in.

DARIA: And the magic word is . . .

QUINN: Damn it, Daria!

DARIA: Yes, that was it. Wait a sec. [sighs, types quickly and uses mouse] 
It's loading. What's going on there?

QUINN: I don't remember if Sandi's flight comes at ten-fifty or eleven-fifty. 
Hurry, my stomach's growling.

DARIA: You didn't bring any rabbit food?

QUINN: Oh, duh! No one brings food to an airport, Daria. I'm going to try a 
little yogurt place that just opened here, if there's time.

DARIA: [moves mouse] Okay, here it is--Mid-American. What flight?

QUINN: Five thirteen.

DARIA: [types, waits] It's on time to land at ten-fifty. You've got about 
fifteen minutes.

QUINN: Thanks! Now I can eat.

DARIA: How long will you be at the airport? I need the car this afternoon.

QUINN: What? Oh, not long. I'm going to put a lei on her, welcome her back to 
Lawndale, then take her out to lunch. Fun stuff, you know? You know about 
fun, right?

DARIA: Leis are Hawaiian, not Bermudan. And why are you bothering to do all 
this? You don't even like Sandi.

QUINN: Oh, Daria! Sandi's all right, and I do like her. [looks around 
guiltily] Well, most of the time. She's not such a control freak these days, 
and we talk more now than we used to. And she was my very first friend at 
Lawndale. You remember that!

DARIA: [shrugs] Are Tiffany and Stacy there with you?

QUINN: [rolls eyes again] Oh, no. They didn't want to come. Tiffany's at the 
pool, and Stacy's working until nine tonight at that cheese place. It's just 
me here. I told her parents I'd bring her home after lunch and maybe some 
shopping.

DARIA: Okay. Knock yourself out. [pause] I didn't mean that literally. Wait, 
go ahead. Knock yourself out.

QUINN: [smirks, sarcastic] Oh, of course! Listen, we'll go out and party, and 
you can stay indoors and not have any fun on a Saturday. Sounds perfect!

DARIA: I am having fun.

QUINN: Hey, if you say so! [giggles] Thanks, Daria. Bye!

DARIA: Bye.

Quinn disappears from the split screen as Daria hangs up. Daria clicks her 
mouse, and the Mid-American Skylines page vanishes, replaced by an e-mail 
addressed to "Rhonda@Kingsingjail.com" and entitled, "Good luck on your 
(fifth?) appeal."


2. INT: ABOUT THIS TIME, GATE 21, LAWNDALE AIRPORT

Quinn hangs up the pay phone and walks off toward a colorful yogurt stand 
near Gate 21, for Mid-American Skylines. On the way, she stops at a 
television showing flight arrival times, looking at the entry for flight 513. 
It still says 10:50, on time.

QUINN: [to self] I bet she can't wait to get on the ground again.


3. INT: AT THIS MOMENT, ABOARD MID-AMERICAN SKYLINES FLIGHT 513

We look into the coach passenger compartment of a mid-size passenger jet. The 
compartment is nearly full, and chaos reigns with much movement, crying, and 
shouting. The cabin shudders from turbulence of some kind; an irregular 
roaring noise fills the air. Almost everyone (with a terrified expression) 
looks out the windows on the left (port) side of the aircraft, through which 
yellow flickering light shines into the plane. A number of people with 
left-side seats have left their seats and are trying to get to the back or 
front of the plane. The flight crew struggles to get everyone to sit down 
again.

STEWARDESS: [shouts] I want everyone to sit down! We have to clear the 
aisles! Please sit down! You're making it hard for--

MALE PASSENGER: [standing, shouts] I'm not going back to sit there!

FEMALE PASSENGER: [seated] Stewardess? What if it explodes? Are we safe?

MALE PASSENGER: [seated, shouts] Everyone shut up! Stay calm, okay?

MALE CHILD: [trying to get to rear of plane, to woman in front of him holding 
his hand] Are we going to crash? Mommy, are we going to crash?

We shift in for a close view at one passenger in a window seat, about eight 
rows back from the seats by the left wing. The passenger is a white-faced 
Sandi Griffin, who peers out her window, looking forward, in mesmerized 
dread. With huge eyes, she stares at the nearby port jet engine, which is on 
fire and trailing heavy smoke. Ragged flames pour from the engine and at 
times lick the side of the aircraft fuselage, covering the windows with a 
layer of soot. Sandi hugs herself with one arm, on the verge of crying, one 
hand covering her mouth as she talks to herself. We close in and hear her 
words, over the shouting and crying and other noises in the background, and 
the shaking of the fuselage.

SANDI: [whispers] I'm sorry for everything bad I ever did. I really am. I'm 
sorry for all the bad things I've ever said. Please forgive me for being mean 
to everyone. I didn't mean it. I promise to do better. I promise to be good 
from now on. I want to be a better person, I really do. I promise not to be 
mean ever again to anyone. Please help me. I've been a bad person, and I 
never want to be bad again. Please help me. Please help m--

A huge flash of light shines into the cabin from the left side, combined with 
a sudden, deafening explosion. Sandi gasps and flinches back into her seat. 
The fuselage comes apart in an instant, everyone and everything is flung 
about wildly, and yellow and orange flames roar into the cabin and fill the 
screen. We cut away in that instant.


4. INT: A SHORT WHILE LATER, GATE 21, LAWNDALE AIRPORT

Quinn tosses a yogurt cup into a trashcan and walks up to the TV screen 
showing flight arrival times. She frowns at the words "ON TIME - 10:50 AM" in 
the entry for flight 513. She raises her wristwatch, and we see that it is 
11:12. Still frowning, she walks over to the payphones, gets coins from her 
purse and drops them into the slots, and punches in a number.


5. INT: AT THIS MOMENT, DARIA'S BEDROOM, MORGENDORFFER HOME

Daria reaches over and picks up the phone, cradling it between her right ear 
and shoulder as she resumes typing at her computer keyboard, eyes on the 
monitor. We go to a split screen showing both sisters.

DARIA: Morgendorffers.

QUINN: Daria, Sandi's plane isn't here yet. Can you check that website--

DARIA: [irritated] Quinn, just ask someone there, okay? I'm busy right now.

QUINN: Daria, please! I don't want to be out here all day, and you do want 
the car back, right?

DARIA: [exasperated and tense] Hold on. [types, moves and clicks mouse, looks 
at screen] Still on time at ten-fifty. Wait, that's the old screen. I'll 
refresh it. Just get back here by three, okay?

QUINN: What's so important that you need the car at three?

DARIA: Quinn, it's my car, first of all, and Jane and I are . . . [voice 
fades, stares at monitor]

We go to a single screen. On Daria's computer monitor, we see the 
Mid-American Skylines webpage again for flight information. However, next to 
the entry for flight 513 is the note, "DELAYED: NO INFORMATION." Daria's 
mouth twitches. She reduces that screen, moves the mouse to the button for 
saved links, and clicks through the lists, picking a news website. She waits 
a few seconds for the screen to load.

DARIA: [to phone] We need cable or something. This is so slow.

QUINN: [VO, on phone] Ha! Good luck if you can get Mom or Dad to get it. 
You're off to college in a couple weeks, anyway, so I'm the only one who--

DARIA: [eyes get big, stares at monitor, voice tense] Stop talking. Wait a 
second.

On Daria's computer monitor, we see the front page of a news website. The 
headlines are, "BREAKING NEWS: JET LINER REPORTED DOWN." Daria scans the 
article in seconds, looking deeply shocked. We go back to the split screen, 
showing both sisters.

DARIA: [tense and fast] Quinn, what flight was that again? Five-thirteen?

QUINN: Yeah. [frowns again] Why?

DARIA: Mid-American Skylines?

QUINN: Daria, what's wrong? Did something happen?

DARIA: [after pause] Quinn, the news is . . . [swallows, unable to speak]

QUINN: [confused, angry voice] What's wrong?

DARIA: [soft voice] Quinn, I'm very sorry, but there's a news report on the 
Internet that flight five-thirteen might have crashed.

QUINN: [pause, angry and fearful] Are you making this up? Damn it, I swear if 
this is a joke, I will totally--

DARIA: [explosively] No! I'm not lying! Hold on. [pauses to read] They don't 
have any more information yet. Let me check something else. [types very fast, 
uses mouse, types more, waits]

QUINN: [looking around the terminal fearfully] What's it say?

DARIA: Wait. [reads screen, long pause]

QUINN: Daria?

At this point, the loudspeakers at the airport cut in, drowning out other 
sounds.

LOUDSPEAKERS: [tense male voice] Attention in the terminal, please. Will all 
persons waiting for the arrival of Mid-American Skylines flight five-thirteen 
please report to gate twenty-one. Will all persons waiting for the arrival of 
Mid-American Skylines flight five-thirteen please go to gate twenty-one and 
speak with the Mid-American Skylines representative at the counter.

QUINN: [frightened whisper] I have to go.

DARIA: [struggles for words, blinks] Quinn . . . Quinn, I-I don't know what 
to say.

QUINN: [sniffs, about to cry] What does the news say, Daria?

DARIA: [pause, low voice] Flight five-thirteen went down about a half-hour 
ago. That's all they have.

QUINN: It went down a half-hour ago?

DARIA: It cra--it went down. They don't know any more yet.

QUINN: A half-hour ago? Where? It couldn't--

DARIA: [pushes away from desk, stands up] Quinn, stay there. I'm going to 
call Mom and Dad and have them come out there, too. Stay where you are.

QUINN: [very strained] But I have to go to the desk and see what . . . hap-- 
[bursts into tears, shakes all over, grips phone with both hands]

DARIA: Quinn, we'll be out there in a few minutes! Stay at the airline 
counter. I'll get us out there right away, okay?

Quinn sobs too hard to speak, one hand raising to cover her eyes.

LOUDSPEAKERS: [tense male voice] Attention. All persons awaiting the arrival 
of Mid-American Skylines flight five-thirteen must report to gate twenty-one. 
You need to go to gate twenty-one and see the Mid-American Skylines manager 
at the counter.

DARIA: Quinn, I have to hang up and call Mom and Dad. Go find out what 
happened, and we'll be there in a few minutes. Okay?

Quinn continues to cry. She blindly hangs up the phone. We go to a single 
screen as Quinn wipes her eyes with her hands and walks toward the counter at 
gate 21, fighting to get control of herself. A crowd of anxious people is 
already forming at the counter ahead of her, and many stare at Quinn.


6. INT: ABOUT AN HOUR LATER, GATE 21, LAWNDALE AIRPORT

The area here is crowded with shocked people of every sort. Many talk in 
hushed voices; some weep. Solemn airport security guards try to keep 
pedestrian traffic moving around the crowd. Approaching from down the 
corridor, we see Daria and her mother, Helen Morgendorffer, walking quickly 
toward the gate and looking for someone. Helen gets ahead of Daria and goes 
to the Mid-American Skylines desk, motioning to one of the tired-looking 
personnel behind the counter.

HELEN: Excuse me, I'm Helen Morgendorffer. My daughter, Quinn, was waiting 
here for a friend of hers. Is Quinn here?

DARIA: [looks around the waiting area] Mom, there she is. [points] There.

Quinn sits with several other teenagers, all of them crying. Helen and Daria 
hurry over to Quinn. Quinn sees them but does not get up.

HELEN: Quinn! Baby! [kneels and hugs Quinn tightly]

QUINN: [crying] Mommy!

Daria stands aside, depressed and upset. She scans the waiting room, her eyes 
getting red, and spots familiar faces on the far side of the room.

DARIA: [putting hand on Helen's arm] Mom, over there. The Griffins.

Helen looks. Linda and Tom Griffin sit together in a corner of the waiting 
area. Linda is crying; Tom merely sits, staring dully at the dirty floor. 
Helen stares at them.

DARIA: Do you want to talk to them?

Helen swallows, then kisses Quinn and gets up.

HELEN: Quinn, wait here with your sister. I'll . . . be a minute.

Quinn nods, still sitting. Daria sits beside her. Helen walks over to the 
Griffins. Tom sees Helen and stands up, his face empty of emotion, arms 
hanging at his sides.

TOM: [ghost of a voice] Helen.

HELEN: [strained voice] Tom. Linda.

Linda looks up, but she does not get up and continues crying. Helen stands 
before them for a long moment, unable to think of anything more to say. She 
slowly sits down beside Linda and gingerly puts an arm around her. Linda 
tightens up, then slowly leans into Helen and continues crying, covering her 
face.

>From the other side of the room, Daria watches sadly.

QUINN: [sniffles, looks at the Griffins] I called them--[takes breath]--after 
they us about the p-plane. [looks at the floor] I can't believe she's gone. I 
can't believe that Sandi's gone.


7. EXT: MID-AFTERNOON, SAME DAY, CRASH SITE IN FARM FIELD

Wreckage from the jet crash is scattered across a very large soybean field in 
a region of low hills and scattered trees. Smoke rises from hundreds of 
locations, and small fires burn everywhere. Fire trucks, police cars, and 
ambulances dot the scene, particularly along a straight stretch of highway 
nearby. Emergency workers plod slowly through the debris, marking place where 
bodies are found. We close in on a grim fireman wearing an oxygen mask, 
stepping gingerly through blackened ruin. In one hand, he carries a number of 
metal stakes with red flags on them. Ahead of him is a charred passenger seat 
from the destroyed aircraft, lying on its side, its back to him. The fireman 
hesitates, then walks toward the seat. He pulls a red flag on a stake from 
the batch he carries and prepares to stick it in the ground by the seat. As 
he rounds the charred seat, he sees the form of a teenage girl still strapped 
in the seat. It's Sandi. Her clothing is burnt and she is covered in soot and 
debris--but, strangely, she seems unharmed. The fireman stops, staring at 
her, then drops the flags he's carrying and gets down on his knees next to 
her. He leans close, then tears off his oxygen mask to see better. Sandi's 
chest rises and falls. She appears to be unconscious, breathing through her 
nose and mouth, but it is impossible to tell if she is injured. The fireman 
pulls off his gloves and touches Sandi's neck, checking her pulse. He then 
pulls a radio from his belt and turns it on, standing up to wave his free arm.

FIREMAN: This is Harris! I found a survivor! Young woman, about sixteen, 
still breathing. She might be burned! Get me medics, right now! I'm waving my 
arm!

After a moment's hesitation, other workers near the fireman hurry in his 
direction, seeing him wave. Several medical technicians immediately head for 
him as well, carrying their equipment, and two ambulances leave the highway 
for him, moving slowly overland.


[AUTHOR'S NOTE: This tale obvious parallels the movie "Unbreakable" to a 
certain degree, but Sandi does not have super-powers. She was merely 
lucky--or was she? She did make a promise before the crash. The rest of the 
story was to cover how Sandi copes with the knowledge that she is the lone 
(and unlikely) survivor of the jet-crash disaster, and her growing belief 
that she was spared for a reason. She changes her life, but encounters 
unexpected problems and difficulties, and her growing fanaticism for going 
good and combating what she sees as evil proves to be more alienating than 
her old behaviors were. The nature of her conflicts and their resolution were 
not worked out.]

FINIS