FADE IN:

INT. ANNIE’S CAR - SUMMER - DAY

ANNIE, a bright 18 year old, is driving in her car. She has a positive disposition and is listening to bright, positive music. Her world is optimistic, bright, and bubbly. She pulls into the driveway of her parents' house.

EXT. HOUSE - FRONT

Annie exits the car and approaches the front door.

INT. HOUSE - FRONT DOOR

She enters.

ANNIE

Hello?

MOM (O.S.)

In here honey!

LIVING ROOM

Annie enters the living room. Her MOM, DAD, and younger sister KIM, are sitting in the living room along with neighbors, friends, etc. She looks around; everyone is staring at her silently.

ANNIE

Whoa! I didn't realize we were having a family get together! Oh, and we've got neighbors over too? What...what's going on?

MOM

We need to talk to you, Annie.

ANNIE

Mom...is this like an intervention or something? Why is everyone staring at me?

MOM

It's not an intervention. Sit down, honey.

Annie sits down in the only available chair, very disgruntled.

ANNIE

What's going on?

MOM

Well, you know it hasn't rained in over four months...and it's so bad that we have to ration water to such a small amount a day...we...we/

DAD

Annie, we're sacrificing you.

ANNIE

Wait...what?

DAD

We're sacrificing you to make it rain so we can have water.

Annie looks confused at her parents for some time, waiting for a better explanation. She grins a little.

ANNIE

This is a joke, right? Right Mom?

MOM

I...I wish it was, Annie.

ANNIE

You want to sacrifice me...to make it rain?

Her mom pulls out a piece of paper with various explanations, a graph, and numbers and such on it.

MOM

Yes. We did a little research, and we did an online test, and there's an eighty percent chance that your blood will quench the wrath of the heavens.

ANNIE

An online test?

PHIL

My brother took it before he sacrificed his virgin daughter and it worked out perfectly for him.

ANNIE

Phil...

PHIL

Phil Sherman. Geesh I've been your neighbor for over eight years, Annie. I figured you'd remember your own neighbor's name.

ANNIE

Sorry, sorry...so you let your brother kill his own daughter? I mean he killed her?!/

PHIL

Sacrifice his daughter. And everyone's been sacrificing for thousands of years. We sacrificed an uncle a while back, too.

ANNIE

Well...if virgin daughters are better, why not go with Kim?

Everyone is silent, looking awkwardly between Annie and Kim.

KIM

I'm not a virgin.

ANNIE

Well...shit.

KIM

Sorry.

MOM

We evaluated everyone, Annie, and you scored the best.

ANNIE

How?! I'm not a virgin, I'm not like...super good or virtuous or special or anything.

DAD

Don't get hung up on the virgin part. That's not a huge factor. 

MOM

I don't know dear...the test said you had the best chance of satiating heaven's bloodlust. Rob Vernon, who lives down the street, came in second with a seventy-four percent chance, so you really are our best bet...

PHIL

I told you we should've just told her there was pizza in the backyard...

MOM

Phil, not now.

ANNIE

How...how would this even happen?

DAD

I built a sacrificial alter out back. Just a good old stab on the alter should do the trick.

ANNIE

What the fuck Dad?!

DAD

What? That alter was a good week-long project!

MOM

You did a wonderful job, dear.

DAD

Thank you dear.

ANNIE

And you can't deal with waiting like, another few weeks before it rains?

MOM

Oh dear...did we never tell her?

DAD

We never told her. Honey, it never rains, or stops raining, or gets hot or cold or anything without a good sacrifice....You know when it snowed that one Christmas, that one we recorded on tape when you were young?

ANNIE

...yeah?

DAD

The only reason it was so nice and the snow was so perfect was because some parents bit the bullet and sacrificed their kids on Christmas!

ANNIE

No! What? No! What the fuck?!

An elderly neighbor, MRS. TIPPLETON, speaks.

MRS. TIPPLETON

I'm sorry Annie, but that's the way it is!

ANNIE

Mrs. Tippleton?!

MRS. TIPPLETON

Rainbows, Annie, rainbows are proof of sacrifices!

ANNIE

...what do you mean?

MRS. TIPPLETON

It takes seven simultaneous sacrifices to make a rainbow! Doug, did you really not tell her any of this?

DAD

I know, I screwed up.

Everyone sits in awkward silence.

DAD

Alright...well then...

Annie bolts out of the room and out of the house. She can be seen through the window getting into her car and peeling out into the street.

Everyone looks unsettled.

MOM

...that didn't go very well.

DAD

I really expected that to go better.

Everyone sits in silence. ROB VERNON looks uncomfortable.

ROB

I'm just going to go to the bathroom/

PHIL

Why don't you stay here.

                                                                                             CUT TO BLACK