The Water-Nixie Part One By Michael McKenzie

A German Folktale

mdm298@nau.edu

EXT. GERMAN COUNTRYSIDE - FAMILY POND - LATE AFTERNOON 1915 A small farm rests in the grassy hills of the German countryside. On the edge of the farm, there is a small pond. Short reeds poke through the waters surface. On the bank of the pond, JAN, a well-kempt six-year-old German boy with sandy blond hair, is hunched over a patch of tall grass. He digs through the long blades, looking for something. His yellow coat is on the grass beside him. A frog jumps out. in the mud. With a grin, Jan dives after it and lands

INT. BARN - LATE AFTERNOON Jans sister, JULIANA, a nine-year-old girl with freckles and red hair pulled back in a ponytail, is sitting in the loft of a barn. The barn is dark. The only sources of light are the ribbons of sunlight that pour through tiny cracks in the roof. Juliana is playing with a piece of straw, her face blank and distant. She picks up the straw, breaks it in half, then again, drops it and picks up a new piece. The barn door opens, just wide enough for Julianas aunt, GITTE, a pretty young blonde in her early thirties, to step through. GITTE Dinners ready. Juliana doesnt acknowledge Gittes arrival. GITTE Find your brother, would you, dear? Gitte begins to leave, then hesitates, clasping her hands together. GITTE You know, honey... if you ever want to talk... The words dont come. Gitte trails off and bites her lip before nodding and leaving, closing the door behind her.

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EXT. FAMILY POND - LATE AFTERNOON Jans hands are muddy, and theyre closed around something. His eyes are wide and curious. He slowly opens his hands. A smile grows on his face. Sitting on his palms is a small brown frog. JULIANA Jan! Julianas voice is distant. Jan turns to see his sister, wearing a red wool coat, running toward him. The frog jumps out of his hands and into the water. Jan turns back to the pond and moves his hands through the water, looking for his frog. Juliana arrives and stands behind her brother. JULIANA Supper, Jan. Lets go. Jan gives up his search and hangs his head, defeated. wipes his hands on his filthy overalls. JULIANA Come here. Aunt Gitte wont like you coming to dinner like this. Juliana crouches down and brushes off some of the mud from Jans pants. She sees a small yellow flower behind her brother and stops. She picks the flower, sticks it in the front pocket of her little brothers overalls, and the two start walking toward a small house on a hill. EXT. HOUSE ON THE HILL - DUSK The old, two-story wooden houses white paint is cracked and peeling. There is a porch with a few chairs and a small round table. The rest of the porch is decorated with potted plants. Juliana walks up the wooden steps that lead to her uncles front door. Jan is trailing behind, but trips on a small stone and falls in the grass. Juliana turns around to help her brother up, but stops when she hears Aunt Gittes voice coming from inside the house. GITTE (O.S.) I dont know what to do! Im worried about them! Jan seems (MORE) (CONTINUED) He

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GITTE (O.S.) (contd) alright, but hes just a boy... and Juliana... Juliana looks down, frowning. GITTE (O.S.) (continued) ...shes always sitting in that barn. All alone! I just want to help them... Gittes voice cracks and a mans voice comforts her. ARNE (O.S.) Dont cry. Theyll be here any moment. There we go. We can talk about it after theyve gone to bed. Jan finally reaches his sister. Juliana smiles at him and wipes a small tear from her cheek. JULIANA Are you alright? Jan nods. JULIANA (continued) Lets go inside. INT. ENTRY HALL - HOUSE ON THE HILL - DUSK Juliana and Jan enter the house. and warm, but dimly lit. The interior is colorful

Inside, Gitte walks to the dinner table carrying a stack of dishes. She sees the children and waves them in, smiling. Her face is red. Shes been crying. Come in! GITTE Come sit down.

Juliana and Jan take off their coats and hang them on the arm of a chair before walking into the dining room.

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INT. DINNER TABLE - HOUSE ON THE HILL - DUSK Juliana and Jan find their seats. The table is rectangular, and one of the long sides is pressed against a wall with a window. There are a few photographs resting on the windowsill. Juliana and Jan sit next to each other, and Gitte puts her plate down on one end of the table. GITTE Let me get the potato dumplings and find your uncle. Gitte gives them another smile and hurries out of the room. Juliana looks at her brother. He is looking at one of the photographs on the windowsill. The photograph is in black and white. In it, a young man in a German military uniform and a pretty blonde woman are holding a three-year-old Juliana and a baby boy that must have been Jan. JAN Are you sure thats me? look like me. JULIANA Of course its you. See? It doesnt

Juliana points to the baby in the photograph. JULIANA (continued) Look at your hair. Its the same, just like Fathers. Juliana musses Jans hair. With a grin, Jan brushes her hand away. His hand lingers on his head. He pulls some of his hair down in front of his face so he can see it. JAN Yeah, I guess so. Aunt Gitte returns, holding a large, steaming plate of potato dumplings. GITTE Here we are! Gitte puts the plate down as ARNE, a burly, bearded man in his late thirties, hugs her from behind. His white shirt is covered in dirt.

(CONTINUED)

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GITTE Youll dirty my dress! Arne kisses her cheek. ARNE Looks good, Gitte. hungry. Arne takes his seat. warm and bright. God knows Im

Behind him is a fireplace, burning

Arne tucks a cloth napkin into the collar of his filthy shirt. ARNE Juliana, would you like to say the prayer? Juliana shakes her head. JULIANA No, Uncle Arne. ARNE Jan? Jan shakes his head, just like his sister. JAN No, Uncle Arne. Gitte frowns and readjusts the napkin in her lap. GITTE Thats alright. Ill say it. Jan folds his hands on

Arne gestures for Gitte to continue. the table and closes his eyes.

GITTE Bless, Father, what we eat. Let us not forget you, dear God. For food and drink and for all goodness, we give you thanks. GITTE AND ARNE Amen. JAN Amen. CUT TO:

6. INT. DINNER TABLE - HOUSE ON THE HILL - EVENING Jan mops up some gravy with a chunk of potato dumpling. Hes halfway done with his meal. Arne cuts a piece of meat from his plate and chews it. ARNE We lost another sheep today. Gitte puts down her fork with a gasp. JAN Did a wolf take it? ARNE No, I dont think so. There havent been wolves in this part of Germany for hundreds of years. GITTE Perhaps they migrated from Poland? What, with the.. Gitte hesitates and looks at Juliana, who is staring at her plate. She hasnt eaten much. GITTE (continued) ...with the war? ARNE Yes, its possible... Arne takes another bite. ARNE (continued) ...but I dont think so. There are a hundred farms between here and Poland, and I havent heard about any wolves. Gitte looks down at her plate and squeezes her silverware. JAN Then what took the sheep? Arne looks at Jan for the first time of the meal. ARNE Im not sure. Arne sees the flower in Jans pocket. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: ARNE (continued) But in the meantime, I want you to stay close to the house. That means no going to the pond. Juliana looks up at her uncle, electrified. JULIANA What?! You know thats Jans favorite place to go! Jan starts to cry silently. ARNE (sternly) Juliana, I told your father Id keep you and your brother safe. As soon as I find out whats happening to the sheep, you and Jan can go back to the pond. Until then, there are plenty of other places to play. Juliana pushes her plate away and stands up. JULIANA Come on Jan. Its time for bed.

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Juliana takes Jan by the hand and leads him out of the room and up a set of creaky wooden stairs. GITTE What about your dinner? Arne lifts his hand slightly. ARNE Let them go. Arne takes another bite. CUT TO: INT. KIDS BEDROOM - HOUSE ON THE HILL - NIGHT The bedroom is small. There is just enough room for two tiny beds, a bedside table, and a dresser. Jan is in his bed, under the covers. Juliana enters, wearing her pajamas. She walks over to Jan and sits on the edge of his bed.

(CONTINUED)

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JULIANA Good night, Jan. Juliana tucks her brother in and kisses him on the forehead. She stands up and sits on her own bed. JAN Juliana? JULIANA What is it? JAN When is father coming back? to go home. I want

Juliana looks at a dirty, crumpled letter that is leaning against the old brass lamp on the bedside table. JULIANA Jan, I told you. Father isnt coming back. Juliana picks up the letter, but doesnt open it. her fingers along the torn edge of the envelope. JULIANA (continued) They sent him to Belgium and got him sick and he died. Jan squirms in his sheets. JAN Like Mother? No. JULIANA Mother died from cholera. She runs

JAN Isnt that what Father had? No. JULIANA Father died from chlorine.

Juliana gets under her covers and reaches to turn off the lamp. JULIANA (continued) Good night, Jan.

(CONTINUED)

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JAN Good night. Juliana turns off the lamp. CUT TO: INT. KIDS BEDROOM - HOUSE ON THE HILL - MORNING Light is pouring into the room, illuminating Julianas frazzled red hair. Her eyes slowly open. Jan is gone. She sits up calmly and stretches her arms in the air, letting out a yawn. When she is done yawning, she rubs her eyes and looks at the bedside table. The letter is gone, too. Her eyes widen. In a panic, she throws back her blankets in search of the paper. It isnt there. She checks under her pillow, under the bed, and in the drawer of the bedside table. The letter is nowhere to be found. Juliana looks back at Jans bed. She rushes downstairs. INT. ENTRY HALL - HOUSE ON THE HILL - MORNING Juliana rushes into the entry hall. too. Jans coat is gone, His shoes are gone.

Juliana runs to the dining room, shouting. INT. DINNER TABLE - HOUSE ON THE HILL - MORNING JULIANA (yelling) Uncle Arne! Aunt Gitte! The house is empty. Juliana runs back to the entry hall, passing the dinner table. The photograph on the windowsill is missing.

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INT. ENTRY HALL - HOUSE ON THE HILL - MORNING Juliana grabs her red coat from the chair and goes outside. EXT. HOUSE ON THE HILL - GERMAN COUNTRYSIDE - MORNING The sun is blinding, and Juliana raises a hand to shield her eyes. Her hair and coat are like fire against the brown wood of her uncles house. She looks out over the grassy hills. No Jan, no Uncle Arne, and no Aunt Gitte. She looks terrified. She races down the porch steps and around the back of the house. EXT. HOUSE ON THE HILL - REAR - GERMAN COUNTRYSIDE - MORNING Behind the house, Juliana runs past a pile of logs and an axe. She looks over the back of the hill and sees Jans jacket. Her face lights up. She takes a couple of steps down the hill before she notices the well, about thirty yards from Jans jacket. Her face is puzzled and wary. before. She has never seen this well

She starts quickly walking down the hill towards the well. EXT. WELL - GERMAN COUNTRYSIDE - MORNING Juliana approaches the well, picking up Jans jacket on her way. The jacket is covered in dirt and grass stains, but is intact. Juliana puts down the jacket and walks over to the well. The well is old and cracked, covered in vines. The wood that held the bucket up has long since rotted away and fallen down inside. Juliana gets on her toes and peeks down into the well. is dark and silent. JULIANA (hesitant) Jan? (CONTINUED) It

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A faint blue light at the bottom of the well flits in and out of Julianas sight. Seeing the light, Juliana leans further over the edge and calls to her brother again, louder this time. JULIANA Jan! The light passes by again. Pulled in by invisible and seemingly supernatural forces, Juliana screams and falls face-first into darkness. TO BE CONTINUED...