Ext. Prison wall - night

A massive iron door SQUEALS open onto a little-used fenced

enclosure. Paul and the others bring Coffey up from the

tunnel below, emerging into the night. Coffey's breath

catches as he gazes wondrously up at the stars, pointing:

COFFEY

Look, boss! It's Cassie, the lady

in the rocking chair!

PAUL

Shhh. John, you have to be quiet

now.

COFFEY

(whispering)

You see her? You see the lady?

BRUTAL

We see her, John.

Harry goes first, hugging the shadows as he pulls his keys to

unlock the gate...

WIDE SHOT OF PRISON

...while TOWER GUARDS huddle in their enclosure atop the

walls. An occasional SPOTLIGHT cuts the darkness. FIREFLIES

dance in the fields and trees as far as the eye can see.

Four dark figures detach from the shadows, hurrying across

the lonely country road into the fields on the far side...

EXT. WOODS - NIGHT

Coffey's hand scoops up some fallen leaves. TILT UP to his

face as he crunches them under his nose, inhaling their smell.

He see the guards throwing him anxious looks. He misreads

this, holds out his hand so they can smell too. They do it,

just to make him happy.

PAUL

C'mon, big boy, keep moving.

A FEW FIREFLIES come winking through frame as the group

presses on...

ANOTHER AREA/WOODS

The trees are growing sparser, opening onto fields. MORE

FIREFLIES are flitting into view, trailing in their wake...

BRUTAL

How far is it?

HARRY

Just up ahead...

Harry brings them to a thicket of trees. They start removing

branches and boughs, uncovering a battered old FARMALL TRUCK

hidden in the brush.

The men pause. Even more fireflies are swirling around them,

growing in number. It's getting downright weird.

Coffey laughs softly, drawing their attention. A childlike

smile has utterly transformed his face. He raises his hand,

letting a firefly weave playfully in and out of his fingers.

COFFEY

Hey there, little firefly. Where's

Mrs. Firefly this evening?

Another firefly joins the first, both now dancing and

blinking around his fingers. Coffey laughs again.

COFFEY

Oh, there you is. You come out to

play too?

The men stand gaping. The fireflies are flitting to Coffey as

if to a beacon. He waves his hands slowly, fireflies blinking

and trailing from his fingertips like magic dust.

They begin orbiting his shiny bald head like tiny glowing

planet orbiting a sun, their light kicking a mellow sheen off

his ebony skin. Coffey's eyes meet Paul's.

PAUL

They seem...drawn to you.

COFFEY

I love 'em, is why. They don't

think no hurtful thoughts. They's

just happy to be. Happy little

lightning bugs...

The men don't know whether to be enchanted or terrified.

Harry gives Paul a look--can we go? Please?

PAUL

C'mon, big boy. Upsy-daisy.

Coffey clambers up on the stakebed. Paul and Brutal join him.

Harry gets in behind the wheel, jabs the starter button...