Forever and Ever

INT. CLASSROOM - AFTERNOON

Bored in third-grade art class, JIAWEN LI's attention is instead laser-focused on a teenager playing fetch with his dog in the park next to the school. Around her, at tables of four, her classmates are whispering to one another as the TEACHER stands by the blackboard in the front of the room. On each table are instructions on how to fold a paper crane.

TEACHER (O.S.)

Kids, may I have your attention? Today, we'll be folding paper cranes.

Teacher draws a paper crane on the blackboard, capturing everyone's attention except Jiawen's. She is watching a teenager throw a tennis ball, and each time the dog charges forward, eagerly bringing it back to him.

TEACHER (O.S.)

Has anyone folded a crane before? Do any of you know the story of it?

Eventually, the teenager kneels and embraces the dog, who jumps around him in delight. Jiawen tears her gaze away from outside, unable to watch anymore. She stares at the table.

TEACHER (O.S.)

It's a Japanese legend. In Japan, cranes are a symbol of long life and it was believed that they could live for a thousand years.

Teacher draws a flying crane with small ones flying after it.

TEACHER (O.S.)

So legend says that if you fold a thousand origami cranes, you'll have any wish come true.

Jiawen's head snaps up and she looks at Teacher.

TEACHER

Some say that you have to fold a thousand in one year. Some say it's not actually a wish, but happiness granted. But who knows? Nowadays, the thousand cranes are given as a gift wishing for good health and victory.

Teacher falters slightly when seeing Jiawen's rapt attention, unused to it as Jiawen had previously declared to hate art.

TEACHER

Ok. I'll stop keeping you guys. Let me know if you need any help folding anything. And remember what I said about pressing down on the paper firmly. Now let's fold some cranes!

The noise kicks up again as everyone begins to talk to each other. Jiawen is focused on instructions. She takes a piece of paper and smooths it flat repeatedly as she reads. She then tries to fold the crane herself. As she follows the instructions, the edges of the paper never quite meet up with each other and she has to redo some folds several times.

Finished, Jiawen places her crane on the table. It falls lopsidedly. Seeing the crane, Teacher comes over to Jiawen.

TEACHER

That's a very nice crane, Jiawen! I'm glad you're enjoying origami.

JIAWEN

The legend. Of the cranes. How long does it take to fold a thousand?

TEACHER

Well, it depends. But if you put your mind to it, I'm sure you'll be able to do it in no time.

Teacher looks at Jiawen's expression and feels like the wrong thing has been said.

TEACHER

Here. Why don't you take some paper home to fold some cranes to start you on your journey?

INT. LI RESIDENCE - LIVING/DINING ROOM - AFTERNOON

Warm light spills into the room from glass doors. It lands on Jiawen and the family dog, LINLIN.

They are sitting on a thick carpet together in the center of the living room. Jiawen is busy folding up the paper from class. In front of her is a coffee table with a small pile of paper cranes accumulating on it. Down the hall, the front door opens.

MAMA (O.S.)

I'm home! Jiawen? Are you hungry?

MAMA enters and stops short upon seeing her daughter folding cranes. She slowly puts her bag down on the dining table as she takes a moment to reconcile the image with the knowledge that her daughter vehemently dislikes crafts.

MAMA

What's that you have there, baobei?

JIAWEN

I'm making cranes! We learned about them in class today. Did you know that if you fold a thousand, you'll have any wish come true?

MAMA

Oh really? What's your wish?

Jiawen gently lifts up Linlin and hugs her.

JIAWEN

I wish for Linlin to live forever!

Mama looks at the two of them with an unreadable expression. She quickly clears her throat and picks up her bag. She then places it down and smooths down the front of her blouse.

MAMA

Well, that's a very sweet wish. Now, why don't you let Linlin down? You know she just got the surgery and can't be picked up so soon.

As Jiawen places Linlin back down, giving her a kiss on the head after doing so, Mama disappears into the kitchen. Jiawen counts the cranes. Ten. That leaves many, many more to fold.

Mama reenters, this time holding a clear vase. She crouches, places it down on the coffee table, scoops up the cranes that have been folded so far, and drops them into the vase.

MAMA

(petting Linlin)

Now you can keep track. It should fit a thousand cranes of this size.

JIAWEN

Do you want to fold some cranes? I'll teach you. It's easy! When you get used to it.

MAMA

How about after dinner? You can teach me and Baba when he comes home.

Jiawen beams and turns to Linlin, still folding a crane.

JIAWEN

You hear that? I think we really will have a thousand cranes in no time! I'll make it.

Jiawen holds up her pinky finger to Linlin and wiggles it.

JIAWEN

Pinky promise!

Jiawen lifts up one of Linlin's paws and does her best to wrap her pinky finger around the paw. Half-succeeding, Jiawen shakes her hands up and down, sealing the promise.

Jiawen turns back to the coffee table, where the stack of origami paper is growing low, humming to herself. Mama gives Linlin one more pat before standing up. She heads over to where she left her bag and turns to give Jiawen and Linlin another look. Jiawen is waving a crane in front of Linlin, who once would have perhaps eagerly stood up, taking it as a sign to play fetch, but all she does is wag her tail.

INT. LI RESIDENCE - JIAWEN’S BEDROOM - MORNING

Jiawen wakes up and the first thing she does is pet Linlin, who is lying on top of her bed.

JIAWEN

Good morning!

INT. LI RESIDENCE - LIVING/DINING ROOM - MORNING

Jiawen sits at the dining table, changed and ready for school, folding cranes as Mama and BABA serve breakfast.

Before leaving for school, she drops her new cranes into the glass vase on the coffee table which is a quarter of the way filled up. She stops by the door and turns to her family.

JIAWEN

Bye Mama! Bye Baba! Bye Linlin!

MONTAGE OF FOLDING CRANES AND OF LINLIN - VARIOUS

- At the bus stop Jiawen stands apart from the other kids as she folds cranes, each completed one dropped into her pocket.

- A bright day in the park. Jiawen is playing fetch with Linlin, her parents on a bench nearby. She gently tosses a ball a short distance away for Linlin who walks over to it and walks back to give Jiawen the ball. Like the teenager from the beginning, Jiawen kneels down to embrace her.

- Near the front of the bus, Jiawen sits alone, swaying with it as she folds, students streaming by her. She startles when she gets a paper cut as the bus jolts around her.

- Golden hour afternoon at home. On the carpet, Linlin is pressed up against Jiawen, who is folding cranes. Jiawen drops a few into the vase, which has more cranes than when it was last seen. Mama and Baba sit together on the couch on the other side of the coffee table, clumsily trying to imitate the nimble way their daughter creases and folds and bends the paper. Jiawen laughs when they hold up their lopsided cranes.

- It's homeroom and around the room are various clusters of students folding origami with each other, laughing and experimenting with different shapes. Jiawen sits alone.

- Warmly lit by a floor lamp, Baba sits on the couch while working on his laptop. Linlin is curled up against his side.

- In a blue-painted cafeteria, Jiawen sits at the class table and takes bites of her lunch in between her folding cranes. She does not notice the looks she gets from her classmates or the red lines that crisscross her fingers.

- In the cream-painted kitchen, Mama is cooking at the stove as Linlin sits by her, looking up expectantly. Mama eventually feeds her a morsel. Then another.

- Seated in the neat rows of the classroom, Jiawen folds cranes under the desk as the teacher lectures them. She doesn't need to look at the paper constantly anymore, but also she isn't paying enough attention to know what the topic is. Her fingers are covered in bandaids. Someone throws a piece of paper at her head and quiet snickers come from behind her, but she doesn't turn around.

- Stretched out on the living room carpet, Jiawen is asleep, Linlin next to her. The vase is now halfway full. Seeing his daughter asleep, Baba picks her up and carries her to her room. He and Mama tuck her into bed. Linlin climbs onto the bed to sleep too. Baba and Mama stand at the doorway and look at the two of them before turning off the light.

- On the bus, Jiawen sits next to the monitor, both are holding paper. Jiawen is explaining how to fold a crane.

- Nighttime, the family is walking Linlin outside, the four awash in cool light from a street lamp. Linlin collapses. Time stops. Jiawen freezes, eyes unseeing, leash tight in hand. Mama hugs her to her chest. She is saying something inaudible to Baba who lifts up Linlin into his arms.

- In a windowless hallway of a vet clinic, Jiawen is curled up on a cherry yellow chair. She is still, both hands and face. Mama and Baba are seen through an open door talking to the vet. Linlin is on the table behind them in silhouette.

- A cloudy day. Jiawen exits the school bus as she finishes her latest crane. The bus pulls away as she stands there. She stares at the crane before adding it to the ones in her pockets, which are bulging. She begins to slowly walk home.

END MONTAGE

INT. LI RESIDENCE - LIVING/DINING ROOM - AFTERNOON

JIAWEN (O.S.)

Linlin! I'm back!

Linlin comes up to the front door, tail wagging, as Jiawen opens it. Jiawen falls to her knees to greet and hug Linlin.

JIAWEN

Hi! Guess what I have!

Jiawen pulls out a handful of paper cranes from her pocket.

JIAWEN

Look! I made more.

Jiawen heads over to the coffee table, followed by Linlin. Jiawen upends her pockets over the more-than-halfway-full vase. There are two post-its are stuck to the rim. One reads '1000 Cranes,' the other 'Make wish.' She picks up the vase and shakes it as she raises it up to her eyes.

JIAWEN

I think we have at least seven hundred. Ok. Maybe six hundred and fifty? Hmm, at least six hundred?

She looks down at Linlin.

JIAWEN

I'll recount again, but don't worry, I'll get to a thousand in no time.

She crouches down and cradles Linlin's head in her hands.

JIAWEN

Just wait for me, okay? Then you and I can be together forever.

Jiawen holds out her pinky to Linlin and wiggles it.

JIAWEN

Remember? I made a pinky promise.

The two of them gaze at each other for a moment before Jiawen leans forward more and gives Linlin a tight hug. She does not let go for a very long time.

INT. CLASSROOM - AFTERNOON

Jiawen sits at her desk, folding cranes. Her classmates are playing with each other, unable to go outside for recess because of the heavy rain. A group of girls approaches her.

BULLY

You're still making cranes? So weird. You know it's not cool anymore, right?

Jiawen ignores her.

BULLY

You know it's just a stupid story right? You should just give up. It's pointless. Folding a bunch of paper doesn't make wishes come true.

Jiawen finishes a crane and puts it in her pocket. Angry that she isn't getting a response Bully lunges forward and grabs a handful of cranes from Jiawen's pocket. Jiawen stands up.

JIAWEN

Give them back right now!

BULLY

Now you care? Why do you even care so much? It's just paper.

Jiawen lunges toward Bully who neatly sidesteps.

BULLY

You want them back so bad? Fine.

Bully opens her hand. As the cranes fall, Jiawen tries to catch them. They simply slip past her hands and land on the floor like colorful confetti. Bully begins to stomp on them.

BULLY

Whoops. But it's not like you can't just make more, right?

In horror, Jiawen stares down at the floor. The paper cranes lie there with their crushed wings and smashed beaks. She bursts into tears. She pulls back her fist to punch Bully.

INT. LI RESIDENCE - LIVING/DINING ROOM - NIGHT

Jiawen is at her spot by the coffee table, Linlin with her as always. The vase has a quarter of the way left to go. Mama sits at the dining table, watching them. There is the sound of the front door opening and Linlin sits up.

BABA (O.S.)

I'm back!

Baba enters the room and gives Mama a kiss on the forehead who then gives him a meaningful look. He nods. He then heads over to Jiawen and loosens his tie as he sits down. He pets Linlin. Jiawen holds up a crane in front of his face.

JIAWEN

Do you want to fold some with me?

BABA

Jiawen. I heard what happened.

JIAWEN

(looking away)

She was the one who started it.

BABA

That's still not a reason-

JIAWEN

(looking back)

You didn't even hear what she said! Do you know what she said? She said that the cranes were stupid and that my wish would never come true!

Mama stands up. She and Baba share a look with each other.

MAMA

Jiawen, we need to talk about- I mean- That is- About Linlin-

Jiawen stands up, looking on the verge of tears.

JIAWEN

Then she stole them and then stepped all over them and then said I could just make more, but there's not enough time! And I know that the cranes don't- But maybe- You know there's not enough time! There's not- I-

Jiawen breaks off with a sob and crouches down to hug Linlin. Angry cries fill the room. Mama goes over and kneels down. She and Baba embrace them both.

JIAWEN

(whimpering)

I promised. I promised.

BABA

We know. We know. Let it all out. And when you're done, we'll fold more cranes together, okay? We'll make it.

MONTAGE OF FOLDING CRANES AND OF LINLIN - VARIOUS

- Jiawen is at school, back in the classroom. No one bothers her this time. Bully stands far away. Not that Jiawen notices any of it. She's too busy folding cranes, fingers a blur and much faster than before. The cranes are the only bright spots of color in the room.

- Bathed in cool daylight, Baba is sitting on the couch, working, when Linlin attempts to jump up to sit next to him. She does not have enough strength. Baba sets aside his computer and gently lifts Linlin up onto the couch. She curls up against his side.

- Jiawen lays her forehead on the edge of the cafeteria table, hiding her face from her classmates. Her lunch is untouched on the table. A half-finished crane is in her hands. Her eyes are closed as she collects herself to push onward to fold cranes.

- Mama is cooking at the stove, Linlin is laying down on the floor next to her. Mama crouches down and offers a morsel to Linlin. She sniffs it but makes no motion to eat the food. Mama's hand lowers until she rests her hand on the floor next to Linlin's head. Eventually, Linlin licks the food.

END MONTAGE

Ext. School bus stop - afternoon

Jiawen steps off the school bus, a crane a bright red spot between her hands. She begins to walk home, but halfway there she stops. She looks at the crane in her hands. She pulls the ones out of her pockets. As they lay in her cupped palms, she stares at her hope given form with an unreadable expression.

In a sudden fit of rage and sorrow, she crushes the cranes in her grip and flings them away from her. Her hands clench and unclench around nothing and she looks up to the sky. She is surrounded by little bursts of color amidst a sea of grey.

Jiawen stands there as she stares up at the sky as if the answers will write themselves in the clouds for her. There is no answer. There is no sign. There is no comfort or validation that what she is doing will work out. But still, she must persist.

Eventually, Jiawen bends down and begins to pick up the cranes one by one. She straightens their beaks. She smooths their wings. She drops each one back into her pocket. She's almost there. Just a little bit longer.

INT. LI RESIDENCE - LIVING/DINING ROOM - AFTERNOON

The room is lit gold. On the coffee table, the vase is almost full. Jiawen sits on the carpet, this time looking out to the backyard through open sliding doors. It's all blue skies and bright green nature. Linlin is sitting up next to her, Jiawen's hand on her head.

Jiawen closes her eyes. She hears the call of a bird and feels the breeze and the touch of Linlin's fur under her hand. Everything is picture-perfect.

JIAWEN

It's really nice today. Isn't it?

Jiawen opens her eyes. She strokes Linlin's head.

JIAWEN

We can go to the park tomorrow if you want. I think it's gonna be really nice tomorrow too.

Jiawen turns to look at Linlin, who turns at the movement.

JIAWEN

Let's take a nap first though. Okay? Is that okay?

Jiawen flops backward onto the carpet, stretching out into the sunshine. Linlin does the same, leaning against Jiawen.

JIAWEN

Goodnight Linlin. Or good afternoon, I guess. I'll see you when I wake up, okay? Then I'll finish the cranes. And then we can go to the park and whatever else you want to do forever.

Jiawen gazes at Linlin who gazes back at her. Wordlessly, she holds up her pinky to Linlin and wiggles it. She then rests her hand on Linlin's head. Jiawen closes her eyes.

INT. LI RESIDENCE - JIAWEN’S BEDROOM - MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

Jiawen opens her eyes. She's in her bed now, her parents having moved her as she slept. The room is dark. She sleepily pats around for Linlin. There are only cool sheets to greet her. Her patting grows more frantic and she sits up. She looks around. No Linlin.

Jiawen gets out of bed.

The corner. No Linlin.

The closet. No Linlin.

Under the bed. No Linlin.

Empty. Silence. Nothing.

Jiawen stands still in the darkness as her mind whirs.

There is light coming through her door, which is already ajar to let Linlin move in and out. Jiawen heads toward the door.

INT. LI RESIDENCE - HALLWAY - MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

Jiawen looks at the hallway floor. No Linlin.

Jiawen's breath quickens. She has to take deep breaths to calm herself down. Tears begin to well up anyway, but Jiawen tilts her head back to keep them at bay.

There is a warm light at the end of the hallway. Jiawen takes a tentative step forward, then another, then she hurries, footsteps loud in the quiet.

INT. LI RESIDENCE - LIVING/DINING ROOM - MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

Jiawen stands in the doorway. Her parents are seated at the dining table. There is a pile of cranes- no, not cranes, tissues, in front of each of them.

Jiawen looks at her parents. Mama and Baba look back at her.

All three of them are bathed in a warm light. An island of warmth from the darkness of the rest of the room. But there is no Linlin.

Mama holds a tissue in her fist. Baba is slumped in his chair. Their eyes are red. Her normally put-together parents have fallen apart, held together at the seams only by the fact that they know their daughter will need them more than their grief feasting on them.

Jiawen takes a trembling step forward. Mama's throat bobs as she struggles to speak. The foreboding grows. Jiawen cannot help the tears from falling down her face.

Mama and Baba stand up, helplessness written all over their features and in their outstretched arms, but Jiawen leans back.

In leaning back, Jiawen sees out of the corner of her eye that there is something on the carpet. Her eyes, aided by the light of the moon, adjust to the darkness.

It is a lump. It is covered by a blanket.

It is in the spot Linlin was last with her.

Jiawen knows but does not want to comprehend.

Too soon. It's too soon.

She clutches her chest.

She's too late.

She staggers forward.

She does not take her eyes off the lump. Off of Linlin.

She broke her promise.

Jiawen falls to her knees and opens her mouth to scream.

INT. LI RESIDENCE - LIVING/DINING ROOM - MORNING

Jiawen sits on the carpet and stares at the vase. Tears are her new constant companion. Mechanically, she reaches for a tissue, blows her nose, and wipes her tears, then adds it to the pile already accumulating on the table in front of her.

Mama and Baba come up to her and kneel down on both sides. The three of them gaze at the vase together.

Lost in thought, Jiawen looks at her hands. They are empty and still. A fresh round of tears well up again. But before they can fall, she notices what her parents are doing.

Mama and Baba are folding paper cranes. Having folded cranes with their daughter for months, they quickly and neatly fold and line up the edges of each square piece of paper.

There is the rustle of the paper crane as each new one drops into the vase. They pile higher and higher. It is a swirl of colors that should clash against one another, but instead only look right together.

Not pausing in her actions, Mama turns to her daughter.

MAMA

Do you know our tradition of burning paper money?

Wordlessly, Jiawen shakes her head.

BABA

We burn paper money for those in the afterlife.

Jiawen turns to her father who adds a crane to the vase.

BABA

When the money burns, it's sent to them to have.

MAMA

We can finish the thousand cranes. And then, if you would like, we can burn them to send to Linlin. Is that okay? Do you want to do it?

Jiawen looks at the cranes her parents are dropping in the vase. She looks down at her hands. She remembers her promise. She reaches for a piece of origami paper.

Ext. The location where Linlin is buried - Evening

Jiawen stands between her parents. In her hands is the glass vase with a thousand paper cranes. The sun is on the verge of setting below the horizon, sending the scenery awash with blues and purples and pinks. Slowly, Jiawen crouches and places the vase down on the ground in front of Linlin's grave. For a few moments, she does not let go. At the touch of her parents' hand on each shoulder, she stands up.

Baba kneels and picks up the two sticky notes. He places them on top of the cranes. He then pulls out a matchbox and ignites a match. Jiawen takes it from him and clasps it with two hands. She stares at the sticky note that says 'Make a wish,' looks up to the sky, then closes her eyes. After a moment, she opens her eyes and drops the match into the vase.

The cranes and post-its catch on fire and as the warm orange and yellow glow become the strongest light, the smoke twists and spins and rises into the air and to the stars.

JIAWEN

Linlin. I did it. I folded a thousand paper cranes. And now I'm sending them to you to keep and remember us.

She tilts her head back to try and stop her tears from falling.

JIAWEN

I hope you like them.

The tears roll down her face anyway.

JIAWEN

I love you.

Jiawen's parents place a hand on each of her shoulders. Mama's eyes are closed and Baba's face is somber as they listen to their daughter struggle to say goodbye.

JIAWEN

And I'll remember you. I promise. I promise. I promise. I promise.

Jiawen cannot hold back her sobs anymore.

JIAWEN

I'll remember you. Forever and ever.

Fade to black.