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EXT. MICHIGAN-WOODS-DAY

A ROOKIE drives a green D.N.R. truck down hwy M-22 in Sleeping Bear Dunes Nat. Park, gold badge on door, country music on the radio, vast expanse of Lake Michigan, Manitou Islands, trees, animals. A crow eats an opossum carcass.

INSERT: hand painted sign, no apostrophe, WERE OPEN, LIVE BAIT, COFFEE, AMMO.

INT. HONOR-GAS STATION STORE-DAY

The Rookie buys sticks of jerky. The CLERK gives change, eyes him suspiciously. Three old men drink coffee. The Rookie leaves, door closes.

CLERK

Fucking fish cop crick dick.

The old men laugh, spit at a communal cuspidor.

INT. D.N.R. FIELD OFFICE-DAY

The Rookie enters, goes to a back room. There are three cages with THREE COUGAR’S inside, each wearing a black collar. The Rookie approaches a cage with jerky.

ROOKIE

Here, kitty kitty kitty. Brought you a treat today.

A cougar comes to the edge of its cage, sniffs.

ROOKIE (CONT’D)

Marlin said not to feed ya. But He’s not here is he?

The Rookie squats and extends his arm.

INT. VIEWING SCREEN-COUGAR CAMERA-DAY

MARLIN, a govt. agent, sees the Rookie’s face on a video feed from a camera on the cougar’s collar.

INT. D.N.R. FIELD OFFICE-DAY

The Rookie shakes the jerky. The cougar doesn’t move.

ROOKIE

C’mon kitty. It’s jerky. Mmmmmm. You’ll like it.

The Rookie inches closer.

INT. VIEWING SCREEN-COUGAR CAMERA-DAY

Marlin watches the Rookie’s eyes widen with fear.

INT. D.N.R. FIELD OFFICE-DAY

The cougar has a paw on the Rookie’s shoulder. Claws slowly extend, sink into his flesh. They are eye to eye. The Rookie screams. The cougar bites his face.

INT. NUGENT’S TRUCK-DAY

Another D.N.R. truck. OFFICER NUGENT is on his phone.

INSERT: gold name plate, NUGENT.

INT. D.N.R. FIELD OFFICE-DAY

A cell phone rings, next to a bloody hand holding jerky.

INT. NUGENT’S TRUCK-DAY

OFFICER NUGENT

Answer your god damned phone.

Nugent hangs up. Grabs coffee from a drink holder. A deer is in the road, he swerves, spills coffee on his lap.

OFFICER NUGENT

God damn hell!

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

He pulls to the shoulder, sops his crotch.

OFFICER NUGENT (V.O.)

I knew there were cougars in Mi. all along. Besides the ones at the Field Office. The wild ones. My job is to make sure that no one finds out. D.N.R. policy. It takes money to care for an endangered species. We’re fightin’ emerald ash borers, bovine TB, zebra mussels, flyin’ asian carps and two dozen invasive plants. Our funds are strapped. But every year there’s more sightings. Livestock gets kilt. We go out and cover it up best we can. But that’s not why we have cougars at the Office.

Nugent drives through the woods, along Lake Michigan shore.

OFFICER NUGENT (V.O.)(CONT’D)

I was good at cover ups. Got the attention of higher ups. I’m not exactly sure what department. But they’re government. They show up one day, tell us the plan to create an untraceable weapon. Something that looks natural. Cougars. Trained to kill a specific target.

Nugent pulls in the D.N.R. Office parking lot.

OFFICER NUGENT (V.O.)(CONT’D)

We teach ‘em to attack one deer from a herd, ‘paint the target’ with a laser dot. Shock ‘em until they do what we want. Press a button to tranquilize ‘em, load ‘em up, bring ‘em back home.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

Nugent walks in the building carrying a box of doughnuts.

OFFICER NUGENT (V.O.)(CONT’D)

It’s was fun, ‘til today.

He sees the Rookie. Drops the doughnuts. His phone rings.

MARLIN

Take care of the body.

OFFICER NUGENT

Yes sir. Will do.

INT. VIEWING SCREEN-COUGAR CAMERA-DAY

A wet spot on Nugent’s crotch.

MARLIN

And change your pants.

Marlin presses a button. The cougars fall to sleep.

INT. D.N.R. FIELD OFFICE-DAY

Nugent picks a doughnut off the floor, takes a bite.

BEGIN TITLE: H O M U N C U L U S

EXT. WOODS-PLATTE RIVER-DAY

JALE, a high school aged boy, floats down river, in the front of a canoe. CRANE COON, an elder Indian, guides it from the rear. A blue heron flies. A stick pokes through the water, moving. A beaver is in a trap, chained to the stick. It thrashes. Jale clubs it, looks at Crane.

CRANE

I saw you there. At the rope swing. I saw what you did to those boys.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

Jale tosses the beaver in the canoe, resets the trap.

JALE

I thought it would make me feel better, I mean, I thought they deserved it.

His voice breaks, a tear rolls down his face.

JALE (CONT’D)

I don’t know what to do.

CRANE

I do. You have to do a sweat lodge. You need to do it now.

They go to shore. Crane makes a domed lodge with willows. Jale digs the fire pit, adds rocks. Crane starts the fire.

CRANE (CONT’D)

Long time ago a little boy fasted for this. Went through the dark of the crescent moon. Came back. Showed people how to get healed.

Jale picks cedar. Crane makes a mound between lodge and fire, takes a pipe from a bag, holds tobacco to the four directions, fills the pipe, leaves it on the mound. Rocks glow in the fire. Crane puts coals on shovel, adds cedar.

CRANE (CONT’D)

Come over here. Get smoked down. It will clean your spirit. Don’t be afraid.

Crane cleanses Jale with the cedar smoke.

CRANE (CONT’D)

You will bring the rocks in with the pitch fork.

Crane motions, a slight lift of his arms. They strip down, wrap with towels. Crane lights a braid of sweet grass, crawls in. Jale gets a rock centered on the fork, wields it to the lodge. Crane guides it in, settles it in a hole. Jale enters. Crane closes the door-flap.

INT. WOODS-SWEAT LODGE-NIGHT

Crane adds water, prays in Indian, forceful, rhythmic. Jale hears a rattle. Crane sings. Jale sees a spiral of swirling colors. Crane speaks in English.

CRANE (CONT’D)

At one time our people would have a sweat lodge for men returning from battle. To be cleansed before they returned to the village. You have taken on a sickness by hurting those boys. You must be cleansed or it will devour you. This is ghost sickness.

Crane adds water, steam rises. Jale sees a pinpoint of light. It spins, sparkles. He sobs. Crane shakes a rattle.

CRANE (CONT’D)

Waabanong. Zhaawanong. Epang Gizhimok. Keewedinong. Gitchi Manido. Ahaao.

Jale hears thunder, bombs, jeeps, soldiers. A ball of golden light hits him in the belly.

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