The Truth Behind the Lies/Transcript

April (Starts stretching): Are we supposed to race? Good thing I did cross-country back home!

Atlas: I don’t think that will help. Look at the forest. See those colorful circles?

Amaya: Yeah I was just gonna ask. What are those?

Crow: The bubbles are the hardest part of the evaluation, I see that Atlas had experiences before.

Atlas(looks traumatized): Just remember you’re in a bubble and hope everything goes well, and maybe it will.(normal tone) We also have to split up, this is the final competition. As Asra said, everyone’s on their own here.

Crow: Look, until now, I’ve navigated you to the easiest path, without any competition. But now, you’re on your own. Good luck! I can’t be seen around here.

Amaya: Are you like a criminal?

Crow: no, but I know a criminal, a really annoying one. Alright, Goodbye… um….people

Andy *sighs*: such a friend, you don’t even remember our names

Crow *flies away*: you know my name, and that’s all that matters

Varvana takes out Atlas’s eye from her pocket.

Varvana: hey Atty, take this, you’ll need it.

Atlas: ooooooh, my eye, thanks for giving back something you cruelly ripped off.

Varvana:  you’re welcome my fella.

April puts Erity in her bag, head peeking out. They stand on the start line, ready for the race to begin.

Varvana stands next to April.

Varvana: good luck kid

April *screams* knock it off. We’re the same age

Andy stands next to another girl.

Someone sneers: I hope you die in the bubble, cheater

The girl sighs: Don’t listen to them… just don’t listen to them.

Andy looks away before she realizes he was looking at her direction

A vague voice starts talking : Remember, no one shall pass the final evaluation without going inside the bubble. The finish line is on the other side of the forest. There are enough bubbles for all 50 of you. The first 23 people arriving at the finish line will pass.

Someone screams and they all start running. April and Amaya stay behind, confused by the scream, but begin running as soon as others jump

50 people start running through the forest, trying to push each other and be the first to enter their bubble.

*The scene changes to Amaya jumping in a yellow bubble.*

She’s in a dark room. Suddenly a flash of light appears behind her. She looks and sees a screen, showing a young Amaya (3) playing with her toy train, her parents beside her.

The scene changes and now Amaya is older (7) and still playing with the train, with her parents laughing.

The scene changes again. This time, Amaya seems older (12) and she’s holding the train, crying. Her parents can’t be seen.

Another flash of light appears beside the last screen, Amaya walks and looks at the screens like pictures on the wall

The next screen shows Amaya and her relatives in the cemetery, standing still and paying respect to her parents grave, train forgotten in hand.

The next screen shows Amaya in school, walking in the hall while others are making fun of her, laughing while she passes them. She is greeted by the word “nerd” spray-painted on her locker. She begins crying while she passes each screen. Then another girl walks towards her and giggles: Seems like you finally found your locker.

The girl leaves, while others are hiding their laughs, everyone is looking at her.

Amaya runs down the hall, clearly with no destination in mind. Just looking for a way out. The memory goes black. Present Amaya walks through the dark bubble and to the next memory. This time, things are different.

???: Hey! Where do you think you’re going?

Amaya turns, and is surprised.

Zara (giggles): Been forever since we talked!

Amaya runs over and hugs her friend. The only one who stuck by her side while she was bullied. The one who would play video games and read comic books with Amaya, not because she liked it, but because she was a good friend.

Amaya (sniffling): It has been forever, hasn't it?

Zara: Well, yeah, you totally left me!

Amaya (Quickly): It wasn’t on purpose! I swear!

Zara (Laughs): I know. I’m just messing with you!

Amaya frowned. Weird, Zara NEVER ‘messed’ with someone.

Zara: What’s wrong? Was it something I said? I’m sorry!

Amaya: what are you doing here?

Zara: I don’t know, I just followed you to your room when you took so long and ended up here

*Screen shifts to the next unlucky contender*

Atlas only sees fire. His house was burning and he was crying

A voice tells him “you did this”

There’s a torch in his hands, he throws it away and stares at the burning house in the woods.

Andy walks in a hallway. Each wall has a mirror and Andy keeps looking at himself.

???: can you hear me

Andy: Who was that?

He doesn’t hear anything

He passes a mirror and realizes his reflection is acting in a different way, it was smiling.

It was staring at him.

Andy stops walking and froze as his reflection picks up a hammer from the ground and widens his smile, then turns around.

Now we can see April tied up on a chair in the mirror. Andy turns around but sees nothing, he keeps looking at the mirror as his reflection laughs and goes near April in the mirror.

The voice talks again: do it now

Andy finally looks down, there’s a hammer on his side too, he picks it up

???: do it

Andy finally remembers

Andy: I’m in a bubble

He hits the mirror with the hammer before his reflection kills the April in the mirror

Andy’s bubble exploded and he fell on the ground, still traumatized and paralyzed, he sees Varvana, crying next to him

He turns over to face Varvana with an unreadable look on his face

Andy: the bubbles are horrifying.

Varvana *sobbing* : agreed

Andy: We need to find everyone else.

Varvana (sniffles): everyone’s on their own now, we have to win so we can get out of this hell.

Andy: I can’t believe you’re leaving everybody behind again.

Varvana: I’m not, you idiot, I’m trying to win so I can get my people out of here.

Andy: what? It won’t work, that’s exactly the whole point of a “contest” because only selected people can leave. We can’t waste our time.

Varvana (screams): Aaaaaaah, fine!

*screen shifts to April’s bubble*

First, it starts off small, with a few spiders crawling around her.

April: GET IT OFF!! AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!

The spiders crawl off of her and merge into a familiar shape-- Andy.

April: A-Andy? Wait, w-where are you going? What’s going on?

Andy: Isn’t it obvious? I’m leaving.

April: What do you m-mean?

Andy: Come on, we know that I’m clearly the alpha here. You don’t deserve to go to Mystic Academy. You’re better off standing here, alone.

April: What? what happened to you?

Andy: I grew up, April.

* the fake Andy vanishes*

April falls out in the darkness

Erity’s eyes glow and break the bubble

April falls down.

Someone who’s running to the end point, steps on April’s hand. April screams in pain

???: get up, dummy, you’re blocking the way.

April *worriedly checks her bag* : Erity, are you fine?

Andy: April, there you are! Now come on, we need to get to the others.

April looks shaken, trying to repress her glare.

Andy takes April’s hand and starts running

They come across Atlas, who is sitting on the ground,  looking more robotic than before.

Andy: We found Atlas! Four out of five, now we need to find Amaya.

Varvana pulls Atty up. They start running again

Varvana: Can we, like… not?

April: Nope!

Varvana: Fine. Then we better get a move on, although it would work better in my way.

Atlas: it was me.

Varvana: Looks like Atty is finally broken.

April: Hm, if I was Amaya, where would I want to be? Uhhh, somewhere safe? Geeky? Bright?

Andy: Woah-

April: What?

Andy: That’s a huge bubble-

*Andy points at the massive nightmare bubble creepily looming over them*

Atlas: Hubba whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?

Varvana: Ugh, it's all colorful, it’s like an Amayaland

Atlas: We can all agree that she’s in there, right?

Andy: Yup. Now let’s go!

*they go inside the bubble”

???:  *singing a song*

Varvana: Who’s that?

???: Varvana? Guys? Is that you? Now all my friends are here!

Andy: All?

Amaya(walks to them): This is my friend, Zara.

Zara: Howdy!

Varvana: Whatever, now we need to go!

Amaya: What if… I don’t want to?

Andy: What do you mean, Amaya?! We need to win the race, we need to get out of here!

Amaya: But, I want to stay here, with Zara. Who knows what’ll happen if we go back out there.

Zara: Uhhhh, well, it’s Amaya’s choice.

Andy: You’re not helping, Zara!

Zara: But isn’t friendship letting your friend do stuff? Aren’t you her friends?

April: Not the time for the friendship speech…

Amaya: Zara’s right, friendship is about being there for each other, and you guys aren’t here for me!

Varvana: 'THAT’S IT! DO YOU KNOW WHAT WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH IN THOSE STUPID BUBBLES?! AND YOU’RE HERE LIVING IN YOUR HAPPY LITTLE FANTASY WORLD! COME BACK TO REAL LIFE!'

Atlas: Varvs, that’s it! Amaya, this is a bubble. Zara is fake, she’s not here right now. And if you keep this up, we can’t go home. Please, Amaya.

Amaya: Uh, b-but, no I can’t leave Zara behind.

Varvana: Wake up idiot, Zara isn’t real, she doesn’t exist. You’ve been alone all along, and you will be forever. No one cares about you and anyone that does is nothing but a hallucination.

Amaya: (screaming) that’s not true, you guys aren’t hallucinations and you cared enough to follow.

April: that’s why you need to come with us, because we’re real

Andy: come on

Atlas still looks traumatized

Amaya: you don’t get it, I’m nothing. I don’t matter. I live in a hell and this is the only way out for me, here I can see all my bad memories around the walls, I don’t live them, I just observe them, I don’t get to grieve for my parents anymore because I can see them here. I don’t have to feel lonely anymore because Zara’s here with me.

Andy: but you’re gonna lose the race, you’re gonna be here, you’re gonna die

Amaya: not that living’s better for me

April: but...

Amaya: just leave me please...

Varvana: go

Andy: what?

Varvana: you heard her, go

April: no we’re not leaving just because

Varvana: (shouts)why do you have to be so stupid! Kid just leave, ok?

Varvana begins pushing people out of the bubble one by one

Varvana: leave.. Get out…. Go win, we’ll meet you there

Once everybody is out, Varvana turns around and faces Amaya and Zara.

Varvana: Now you listen to me, you are a useless person, you do nothing but slow us down, your parents are dead and you can’t do anything about it. You’re lonely and will always be lonely because no matter how hard you try, you’ll never be good enough.

Amaya (shouts) : stooop it

Varvana: and you’re lucky you found this place because out there, you’re nothing but a loser, everyone hates you and you better stay in here, crying your eyeballs out for everything you caused, just hiding with your parents pictures and your dumb imaginary friend until you’re gone just like the idiots your mourning for.

Amaya: don’t you dare talk about my parents like that

Zara slowly fades away

Varvana: excuse me for thinking that being an idiot runs in your family, but don’t blame me. You think I’m a monster for leaving you but the truth is, you like what I did, because you wish you could do the same but you can’t because you’re a pure-hearted innocent idiot and you can’t survive here so you make a huge bubble for yourself to hide

Amaya: (crying) why are you doing this to me?

Varvana: so stop smiling, stop being happy because you don’t matter to anyone

Amaya: stoooop

Varvana: keep crying until you die with shame like every other human being does

Amaya: Varvana

Varvana: Stop laughing all the time because nothing is worthy of your smile, stop smiling and come out of your happy place

Amaya: noo

Varvana: come back to us, face the reality

We have a shot from outside of the bubble, we hear Amaya’s scream and the yellow bubble shatters with a horrifying sound.

April, Atlas and Andrew are getting closer to the finish line, there are already 11 people on the other side

Atlas is the first one to pass the finish line

April takes Andy’s hand pulls him back

Andy: April, what’s wrong?

April looks like her mind is far away and is too weak to let her speak

Andy: April let me go, we’re gonna lose.

April (whispers): you’re not….

Andy: what?

April: I… you told me you deserve this place, you said you were the alpha, do you really think I’m that unimportant?

Atlas (from the other side): come on guys.

Andy: I never said that. What’s wrong with you?

April: the bubble shows the truth about someone. You said you’re the alpha and I mean nothing, then you just left me.

Atlas tries to get to them but there’s an orange energy field that prevents him from passing the line again. Asra is placed beside him, on a desk.

Asra: you can’t help anybody in the bubble race, they’re all on their own. Even if you think you can help each other, you really can’t. Unless one accepts the truths or finds the lies they tell themselves, they can’t be free.

Andy: That bubble doesn’t show the truth, it shows you your worst nightmare, it tries to break you, my worst nightmare was hearing someone in my mind, commanding me to hurt you, that was my worst nightmare April, why would I want to leave you?

April: but you already did, we used to be closer and before this place, you didn’t even care enough to be around me. It took me two weeks to get you to do the jigsaw thing with me and with mom gone, I don’t know what to do.

Varvana (far away, running with Amaya): what the hell are you doing, stop chatting

Andy: look I’m sorry and I promise to hang out more but we have to win this thing. Come on let’s go.

April finally lets go of Andy and they pass the finish line (so Atlas was number 12 and April was number 13 and Andy was number 14)

Four people reach the finish line and then Varvana and Amaya reach the finish line.

Andy: Is everybody here? We all made it!!!!!!

Asra: yes, your group was what I’d like to call “odd”. How did you even survive? Did anyone help you?

Andy has a flashback of Crow saying “I can’t be seen around here” and begins to stutter

“I...ummmm….really we just…..”

???: Mr. Asra? I believe they must be tired, you know how intense the bubbles can be, sir-

Asra: yes Eric, in fact I remember when I found you in here, you had quite the face, dear.

??? (sarcastically): yeah thanks for reminding me sir

Asra: you’re welcome, now we should get back to writing the introduction brochures, I hope your hands are ready for action. See you in the office, Mr. Tanaka.

Asra’s servant picks the head up and they get out, leaving someone called Eric and 23 other people.

Eric sits on a tree stump and takes a paper out

Eric (whispers): dumb old man, makes me do his paperwork (yells) alright people you’ll come here one by one and tell me your stupid names

??? (flirty): heeey Eric, whassup?

April notices that it was the same girl that stepped on her hand

Eric seems to ignore the girl: alright Wynter, I’ll add your name, now leave and let me do my job please.

Wynter: oh come on, that’s not the way to treat the first person who got out of the bubble

Eric: please, I have to do my job ok?

Wynter: yeah you always have to do your job

Wynter leaves

The next people came closer and told their names, after Atlas and April, it was Andy’s turn

Eric: oh hi, Andrew right? Thanks for not talking about our feathery friend back there

Andy looks traumatized : you know Crow?

Eric: maybe try keeping it a little bit discreet, ok? (yells) neeeext

Varvana: Hey Ammy, I’m so…

Amaya: save it, I don’t want your apology or your sympathy

Amaya steps forward and tells her name to Eric

Eric: heyyy, I remember you, you and Andy had the weirdest bubbles out there

Amaya leaves without saying anything

Eric: rude (yells) neext

Varvana: Varvana Ansel

Eric: hi Varvy

Varvana: don’t call me Varvy unless you have a death wish

Eric smiles: “challenge accepted Varvy” (yells) next

Varvana leaves while while frowning at him and joins the other four, who are doing their best to avoid the crowd

April: hey come on Varvana, don’t beat up the first person to see, also he might be a second in command or something, so not a bad idea

Atlas: he seems kinda young for that

Andy: he knows Crow

April: what? Seriously?

Andy: He asked us not to tell anybody about Crow.

Amaya: Crow did say he couldn’t be seen around the school people

April: but what about Asra’s speech? Crow was around at that time

Andy: no, that place was crowded and he never left the ground when Asra was talking, in fact the only time he flew was when April and I ran away, and that was way before Asra appeared.

Eric: come on everybody, stay in groups, we don’t want anybody get lost here

Atlas: but wait what happens to the other 27 people who didn’t pass? We were 50 people at the beginning of the third evaluation

Someone with a red cloak appears from behind the trees.

Eric: wow, right when someone asks, oh, hi Lizzy. Did you get rid of the others?

The stranger takes off the cloak and we see that she’s an 18 year old girl

Lizzy (smiling): I can’t believe I always get to do the hard thing

Eric: Well you are Asra’s favorite. Also I’m too lazy to go to the forest

Someone else is standing right beside the girl, almost 20 years old and seems to be the oldest of the people present.

Lizzy: I had to protect Dexter so he could do his voodoo stuff.

Dexter: hey, would you stop insulting my abilities?

Lizzy (still smiling) : well I would but then what would I laugh at

Eric: well now that we’re all ready, we should head back to the school