FADE IN:

INT. BENNY’S RESIDENCE- 4:30 AM

Dawn was yet to break. The suburban neighborhood has finally fallen asleep after the late but noisy hours of welcoming the new year. The only thing that can be heard in the quiet is a soft lulling of a radio playing from one house. “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles plays from the radio that sits on a table by the window with Benny staring out of it, a cup of coffee in her hand. A calendar shows that it is the 1st of January 2021. Benny’s dog is seated by her on the floor as she pets it. 

RADIO

2020’s been a rough year, so 

why don’t we begin the day 

with a song by The Beatles….

BENNY

Where has the year gone?

Memories of the past year appear around him. The TV turns on and Channel A presents with the headline: “Strange Virus Discovered,” a reference to the global Coronavirus pandemic. Beside Benny was an antique rocking chair, on top of it sat a newspaper with the words “Taal Volcano Erupts” in bold.

RADIO

“Little darling, it’s been a long, cold, lonely winter… Little darling, it feels like years since it’s been here…”

A few minutes after reporting the first news, Benny switches the channel to Channel B with the reporter having a run through on how the government discontinued Channel A’s media franchise. Behind the reporter stood hundreds of people in masks raising their placards as they expressed their support towards Channel A.

CHANNEL B REPORTER

The government came to a final decision to shutdown Channel A. Hundreds of people are gathered here to fight with all they’ve got until the end.

BENNY

I grew up watching that channel, it was everyone’s childhood. Now we’re witnessing its closure.

As the song continues to play on the radio, Benny diverts her focus to the walls. A handful of placards with the words “JUNK TERROR BILL!” “NO TO RED TAGGING” were plastered on her walls; bringing back memories of her and other youth members standing on the streets in midday, their sweat trickling down their foreheads down to the inside of their masks.

BENNY

One of my first rallies last year. I don’t know what’s gotten into the heads of our government. It wasn’t something that was needed to be focused on during these trying times. 

Benny looks out the window before one of his most impactful memories plays. In the blink of an eye, her whole street now flooded with her dog floating in the middle of the flood. Without thinking twice, she jumps in and swims towards his dog. Her memory ends as soon as it begins with the street looking like nothing happened to it. 

Benny hoists her dog up to her lap and holds her close, thankful that she still has him. 

BENNY

I promise that I will never leave you. I will always come find you.

The radio continues its song as the sun begins to rise over the buildings outside, a signal of a new dawn. People begin to leave their houses with face masks, others choose to open up their windows instead. They greet each other a happy new year with some turning to Benny in the window as they greet her a happy new year as well. Benny smiles with her dog and greets them back. 

Suddenly, she remembers that she’s supposed to read the latest issue of a news magazine. Picking up his tablet from the coffee table, she types in The Benildean: Translate, and starts reading the first article.

BENNY

Looks like it’s time to begin again.

RADIO

“Here comes the sun, do, dun, do do….”

Benny looks outside her window and sees the entirety of the neighborhood, getting ready to begin a brand new day and a brand new year.

RADIO

“Here comes the sun and I say, It’s alright…”

OUT TO BLACK.