SCENE 1. EXT. MORNING. PEA FACTORY
Smoke billows from a gray industrial chimney. We follow it until the end, into which we dive.
SCENE 2. INT. MORNING. PEA FACTORY
We land with an unlabeled and slightly cracked can on a conveyor belt. Cans are placed there by mechanical arms. A roll attaches labels showing a lush vegetable garden and the inscription "Once upon a pea" in yellow letters. The end of the conveyor belt approaches. The cans seem to fall into the void. We land in an aluminum crate, surrounded by other cans.
Two giant gloved hands appear, grab the edges of the crate, and lift it. The cans swing.
SCENE 3. INT. MORNING. DELIVERY TRUCK
A gray truck roof. The cans jump. The giant hands disappear. Footsteps are heard, a door slams, an engine sound. The cans swing. A jolt. A screeching of brakes. The cracked can hits a corner of the crate. The crack opens a bit, revealing the silhouette of a pea inside. The engine stops. Footsteps, a car door sound. The giant hands lift the crate.
SCENE 4. INT. MORNING. GROCERY STORE ENTRANCE
A ceiling with lights off. Footsteps echo, and the cans swing.
SCENE. INT. MORNING. CANS AISLE
The cans jump. The crack opens completely, and the pea almost falls out. The giant hands lift the can. A jolt. A pea lands on a beige floor next to the crate. Two enormous shoes walk away. Footsteps noise from afar. Silence. The lonely pea is on the floor. PEA opens an eye, and another, looks around. It jiggles and pops out an arm, and another, a leg, and another. Pea sneezes, then freezes, surprised, and laughs. Pea gets up on his shaky legs, but manages to stay still. One step, and another. Pea starts trotting.
SCENE 6. INT. MORNING. CHECKOUTS
Pea trots toward a checkout counter. Above it, a red light. With a grunt, the pea climbs onto the counter. It lands on a smooth surface. A beep. Everything turns red.
CHECKOUT VOICE:
Please scan your items.
PEA:
Huh?
CHECKOUT VOICE:
Unidentified item. Please try again.
The pea jumps effortly on the scanner. It beeps somehow.
CHECKOUT VOICE:
One. Pea.
PEA:
Huh? Uh... Pea what?
CHECKOUT VOICE:
Pea.
PEA:
(delighted)
Oh... Pea. Pea!
The pea observes its body, smiles, jumps off the counter, and trots away.
SCENE 7. INT. MORNING. CAN AISLE
The pea walks toward a display of canned goods, looking at the height of the shelves, impressed.
PEA:
Wow.
A loud microphone noise is heard.
STORE ANNOUNCER:
Attention, attention, the store will open in 5 minutes.
The pea walks towards canned pineapples and taps three times. Nothing happens. It trots a bit further and taps three times on a can of peaches. Nothing. The pea clumsily climbs down from the shelf and heads to the section of shelves just across. It climbs with difficulty until it faces canned tomatoes. It taps three times and waits, then presses against the can.
PEA:
Hello? Pea here?
The pea taps on various canned vegetables, but there's no response. It struggles to climb down from the shelf and goes to the other side of the aisle when loud BOOM BOOM BOOM sounds are heard. The ground shakes with each BOOM, causing the pea to lose balance. It turns toward the source of the noise, and a GIANT FOOT lands nearby. It tries to escape to the right, but another giant shoe blocks its path. The same happens when it tries to run to the left. The pea panics and freezes as another foot descends directly over it. Just before the shoe crushes it, a DUSTER, a little ball of puffy dust lookalike dog jumps onto the pea. They both roll, all tangled up.
SCENE 8. INT. MORNING. UNDER A SHELF
Duster and the pea finish their roll under a shelf. Duster looses a one of its fluffy ear, and hangs it back on its head. It's dark, full of dusty fog, and thin beams of light passing through holes in the shelf above them. The pea is dizzy, while Duster, hopping on all fours, barks aggressively toward the aisle. Duster calms down, circles around the pea, and slips under its hand, seeking pets.
PEA:
(in a joyful laugh)
You're cute!
DUSTER:
Woof!
PEA:
And you saved me out there ! That was a close one. Thanks !
Duster sits, gives its paw. The pea shakes hands with it, looking delighted.
PEA:
Oh, nice to meet you. I'm Pea. And you are... ?
Duster sneezes unintentionally on Pea's face, turning it grey. Pea touches his face with a finger, and analyzes the grey dust.
PEA :
Wow, dusty... Can I call you Duster ?
Duster barks joyfully. Pea pets him. They laugh a bit when a shadow appears behind them. They stop cheering suddenly, and stand closer as they get scared by the moving shadow. It moves all around them quickly, making them tremble. Popping in front of them, an old turnip, RUTABAGA, purple and shriveled, passes by talking to himself, his hands full. He wears an extremely long receipt as a cape. Pea and Duster get a scare jump. The old Turnip does not seem to care much about them. He looks busy, weird, but armless. Rutabaga walks right by them as if they did not exist, while keeping on mumbling. Intrigued, they follow him a little further. Rutabaga arrives in front of a bubbling cauldron (which really is a black metal cap), several small plastic lanterns hanging on a pen illuminate the area, giving it a mysterious air. Rutabaga throws what he was carrying into the cauldron, creating a big green cloud of smoke. In the smoke, a pea appears.
RUTABAGA:
Who dares to disturb me?
PEA:
Pea!
DUSTER:
Woof!
RUTABAGA:
(while pointing his cane-like toothpick at them)
Ah, yes, I can believe you're one of these forgotten dust, but you - are certainly not a real pea.
PEA:
But... I am ! The loud voice told me so !
RUTABAGA:
(mimicking grotesquefully Pea)
But... But... you're not! I am Rutabaga, and I see past, present and future. I shall always speak the truth !
PEA:
I'm a pea! I'm sure !
RUTABAGA:
(in french)
Improbable!
Rutabaga moves slowly and grabs scattered ingredients behind him, tossing them into the cauldron, causing another cloud of smoke. In the smoke, a pea appears.
RUTABAGA:
You can't be a pea!
Rutabaga uses his ladle to point at the pea in the smoke, and it multiplies into several peas.
RUTABAGA:
See, a pea is never alone! Nobody's ever heard of a pea. It's peas. Plural. Therefore, you can't be one on your own.
Pea looks at the smoke with admiration. A glimpse of sadness appears in his eyes.
PEA:
A pea... is never alone?
Rutabaga leans towards Pea, towering above his cauldron.
RUTABAGA:
Never. Therefore, you may try to find your people. You have nothing to lose trying. Look at you. Hanging out with a lost dust - ridiculous !
PEA :
I don't care, I - I'm not afraid. What can I do to find the peas?
RUTABAGA :
The journey will be long to find your kind, for you are very tiny, and your kind lives far, very far away, deep within the grocery store.
Pea and Duster look at each other intrigued.
PEA :
I don't mind. I'll do whatever it takes, and I'll go wherever I must !
Rutabaga look at them deeply, seeking for honest courage and determination. He nods, halway satisfied.
RUTABAGA:
Here- take this, little one. Now, scram! I'm working.
Rutabaga hands Pea a piece of paper. It's a torn piece of a flyer with a small plan of the grocery store drew by hand. With the tip of his ladle, Rutabaga points to the fruits and vegetables section on the map. Pea leaves, waving goodbye. Duster follows.
SCENE 9. INT. DAY. IN THE FREEZERS.
Inside a freezer, beneath the bottom shelf. Pea and Duster shiver. They look left and right, seeing that it's vast and empty, with small mounds of snow here and there. A frozen desert. Climbing up a shelf, Pea and Duster find themselves surrounded by ice cream boxes. Torn bits of packaging litter the shelf, forming what seems to be a path. Duster sniffs the different pieces of paper curiously, then points ahead like a hunting dog. Pea picks up the papers one by one as he moves forward. without looking in front of him, Pea bumps into something. Something big and furry. A huge ICE CREAM YETI, with waffle cone pieces giving it a horned and menacing look, turns around. The three characters face each other. Slowly, Pea runs his finger along the Yeti and tastes the ice cream.
PETIT POIS:
Pea?
YETI:
(in a roar)
VANILLLLLA!
The Yeti roars, splashing gobs of vanilla ice cream on them, and Pea and Duster scream in terror as they run away.
SCENE 10. INT. DAY. IN FRONT OF THE FREEZERS.
A view from afar. The freezers look basic, and their terror looks as ridiculous as tiny. A cliché store music is playing with a variety of shop noises. We hear the tiny sound of Pea and Duster's screams as if they were mice. We see feet and the wheels of a shopping cart.
SCENE 11. INT. DAY. CANDY AISLE.
They arrive, out of breath, in a new aisle and hide behind some food items. After a moment, the box they leaned on moves, and PRINGLES coughs deliberately.
PRINGLES:
(with a supperficial accent)
Excuse me, who gave you permission to put your dirty paws on my brand-new packaging!?
Pea and Duster startle. They find themselves facing a fashion show of chip brands on a long pink receipt-made carpet. Countless CANDIES form a noisy crowd, cheering for them. OREOS circulate all around, acting like security agents. DUSTER and Pea step back and step on a LAY'S chips bag. A collective gasp of surprise. The entire crowd looks at Pea in shock.
LAY'S:
(with a superficial tone, patting its bag)
Ugh! Seriously ? I had just put air back into my bag! Do you have any idea how long that took!?
PEA:
Oh, sorry...
CANDY 1:
(shouting from afar)
LAY'S, I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU!!!!
Lay's gives them a sidelong glance, then calls an Oreo. While the agent walks quickly towards them. Lay's returns to the attention of the sugary noisy crowd on the carpet. Pea and Duster huddle together. The chips and candies start to surround them, pointing fingers with looks of disgust or mocking laughter. In the distance, OREO 1 notices them, one hand on its earpiece and the other pointing at them. Next to them, CANDY 2 looks at them scandalized.
CANDY 2:
THEY'RE NOT V.I.P. !
As a wave of astonishment ripples through the crowd, Oreo 1 rushes towards them, followed by five other Oreos.
OREO 1:
(with a strict tone)
Cookie hell ! I'll kindly ask you to move along; you're not allowed to be here. Any opposition will grant me the use of force.
Pea and Duster move through the shelf. They pass through various cereal boxes, and chips react with surprise, quickly closing their packaging as they appear to be in the dressing room. They move through the shelves and hide in a dark corner, until they've lost sight of the Oreos.
SCENE 12. INT. DAY. HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS SHELF.
As they begin to smile, a fleeting shadow appears in the background. They stay alert. Another shadow passes by them very quickly. Duster and Pea draw closer to each other. Duster lets out a small frightened whimper.
PEA:
Is... Is there someone?
A third shadow quickly passes behind them.
PEA:
Rutabaga ? is that you ?
The three shadows slowly appear in front of them, showing themselves in a beam of light through the shelf. A SPONGE, a SPRAY BOTTLE, and a CLEANING GLOVE face them, all with devilish smiles. GLOVE slowly crawls towards them, and Pea and Duster freeze.
CLEANING GLOVE:
(pointing at Duster)
You... Finally!
Duster wriggles in fear in Pea's arms, letting out a tiny dust poop.
CLEANING GLOVE:
DISINFECT THAT!
SPRAY BOTTLE and SPONGE approach them. Pea and Duster exchange a glance and run, each in opposite directions. SPRAY BOTTLE chases DUSTER, spraying windex in his direction. Pea is pursued by the imposing SPONGE, which turns its green scratchy side toward him. We see them running from one product to another for cover. As they pass cereal boxes, Pea disguises himself by imitating Tony the Tiger's posture, and Duster forms a mustache to disguise himself as Captain Crunch. Their pursuers pass by them, not noticing anything, and then turn back on their tracks. Pea and Duster have already escaped.
SCENE 13. INT. DAY. FROZEN FOOD AISLE.
After some chasing games, Duster and Pea find themselves in the frozen food aisle, bumping into each other. Recognizing the frozen cabinets, they exchange a look.
PEA:
Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
DUSTER:
Woof!
Pea and Duster approach the freezer glass doors and bang on them with all their strenght, making as much noise as possible. Behind them, SPONGE and SPRAY BOTTLE continue to chase them, determined.
PEA:
Pistachio yeti, show yourself! Chocolate yeti! You caramel swirl !
The raging Yeti emerges from the back of the fridge, screaming at the top of its lungs. It starts banging on the glass as Pea keeps provocation it with flavor insults.
YETI:
VANILLLLLA!
The Yeti bursts out of the fridge, screaming at the top of its lungs, blocking the path between Pea and his enemies. In slow motion, the Spray Bottle tries to spray at Pea, but a drop lands on the Yeti's shoulder. Slowly, the Yeti turns toward the Spray Bottle, eyes filled with icy anger. As seen from afar, they freeze. The shop music is back on. A hand is opening the freezer, grabbing a frozen lasagna, and placing it in a shopping cart, all without noticing the tiny battle being noticed.
LASAGNA:
(through its plastic wrap)
I'm free...
Back on a close up. The Yeti chases angrily Sponge and Spray Bottle, who flee while shouting out of pure fear. Pea and Duster look at each other, satisfied with their plan. As they begin to chuckle, the Cleaning Glove arrives, crawling up behind them. Despite getting closer and closer, they don't notice it. Just as it's about to tap them on the shoulder, a giant hand grabs it and lifts it into the air. An janitor throws the glove into his cart and continues on his way. The glove screams from afar, desperate. Pea and Duster high-five each other, never noticing the appearance and disappearance of the Glove. Pea and Duster take advantage of the passing cart to hop on board and be guided to the vegetable section. They take out the map and examine it.
SCENE 14 - INT. DAY - VEGETABLE SECTION
Pea slips into a pomegranate bag through one of the holes of the net. He swings on his arms and then drops down. The pomegranate seeds vibrate and turn redder and redder.
POMEGRANATE SEEDS:
Green alert! Green alert! Intruder expulsion. Three. Two. One.
PEA:
(enthusiastically, not understanding he is about to get kicked out)
Out, intruder!
Pea is propelled out of the container. He soars high into the air, his eyes wide and seemingly about to pop out of their sockets. He sees the top of the store shelves - a whole new world. Pea lands on a shelf of green apples. He observes them intently. Then, he tries to puff himself up as much as possible, inflating his cheeks and holding his breath.
GREEN APPLES:
Nice try, little one. But you still have a long way to grow.
Pea takes a loud breath in response. He jumps in a crate next to him, and makes a snow angel in the pumpkin seeds. He sinks slowly as if in quicksand when the seeds turn their back on him.
PEA:
(disappearing)
Uh - oh...
Only Pea's hand is seen slowly slipping into the pumpkin seeds. Duster grabs him and pulls Pea out. He sighs in relief.
SCENE 15 - INT. - DAY - ON THE FLOOR
Pea and Duster trot, a bit tired.
STORE ANNOUNCER:
Dear shoppers, please note that the store will be closing in 15 minutes.You may finalize your purchases and head to the checkout.
Pea sits on the floor, arms drooping. He sighs, feeling discouraged. Duster pouts and whimpers like a puppy beside him. With a metallic sound, the store's lights turn off one by one. A halo of light remains on them, making them look very tragic. Pea cries softly.
A VOICE IN THE DISTANCE:
(We discover that it's the peas in pods)
A pea is never alone. A pea is never alone. A pea is never alone.
Slowly, Pea turns around. We see him wiping his eyes and nose. He manages a faint smile. Duster barks with joy and bounces around.
SCENE 16 - INT. - DAY - IN A CRATE OF PEAS
The voices of the PEAS IN PODS grow louder. Pea climbs up the celery, the leeks, and the herbs herbs. On the ground, Duster jumps and twirls.
Pea slips into one of the pods. Three OTHER PEAS are already inside. They are delighted to see him. Pea wiggles around, smiling. The peas hug and give each other high-fives. Duster barks happily. Pea waves at Duster for him to join him. Duster shakes his head and get back a few steps. He starts to walk away. Pea seems disappointed. He glances at the three other smily peas, then at Duster, and so on. He furrows his brow.
PEA:
(to himself)
A pea is never alone... (Pause) ... A pea is never alone!
Pea exits the pod and jumps back on the floor. Duster tilts his head, intrigued.
PEAS IN PODS:
(encouraging)
A pea is never alone! A pea is never alone! A pea is never alone!
PEA:
(to Duster)
I've never been alone.
Duster leaps onto Pea and vigorously licks his face. Pea laughs and hugs Duster. We see them walking away from behind. Pea pets Duster's fur. They walk away and disappear under one of the fridges. We can see them from afar, on a realistic scale of the grocery. The screen fades to black on "You've Got a Friend in Me."
THE END
Cleo Jacob
Top Illustration by Johanna Forster
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