A Million Years of Happiness

I got this idea a while ago... basically it's about love, loss, and the choice of taking something to ease the pain... And before you ask... yes, naming the characters Alex and Jenny was intentional lmao...


Alexandr isn't the type of guy that the fates took kindly upon. In one way or another, life never really seemed to work out for him, until he met Jenny. One thing had had finally worked for him, changing his life for the better. This whirlwind romance culminated in a beautiful wedding, topped off with an old Italian tradition of smashing the vase, with each broken shard signifying a year of happiness for the lovers. As if by fate, the vase shatters into millions of pieces.

Five years later, Alexandr is still coping with the death of his beloved, mainly by continuing his mindless, humdrum existence, without any sort of regard for enjoyment. Portacio, Alexandr's best friend, trying to do the best thing for his heartbroken friend, introduces him to a new drug, a psychedelic where you can control the drug's experience, dubbed the Black Mercy. Alex struggles with the thought of taking it, but due to the overwhelming desire to see Jenny, at least for another moment, Alexandr takes the plunge. The Black Mercy ultimately gives his soul respite, giving him exactly what he wants, another moment with Jenny. A fantasy, a paradise so real, he doesn't want to leave.

Over the course of the next few months, Alexandr's life falls into shambles. All but completely abandoning the real world for the sake of the Black Mercy's altered, perverted sense of happiness attained from it. While the drug isn't addictive in a chemical or physical sense, giving the user exactly what he or she wants, it enslaves the mind, and heart, making it the hardest drug to quit, as Alexandr finds out. Becoming completely penniless, and having no means to support himself, or support his habit, Alexandr is disenchanted, even disconnected from this world. His only recourse, is outright robbing a local drug dealer, just to get one last drop of happiness. He breaks in, and devours a huge amount, he slowly falls into a high. Using a massive amount of the Black Mercy causes the body to shut down, fading away with a smile on his face as the dealer's boys breaks in to see the commotion caused by him. At his funeral, Portacio is heartbroken, crying as he gives Alexandr's eulogy, blaming himself for Alexandr's downfall and death. Portacio vows to everybody in the church that he will do everything in his power to not see another person fall down the same path Alex did. Portacio claims that whatever peace he will have in life is that now Alexandr is happy in heaven, without the Black Mercy.

Alexandr, now in some sort of afterlife, appears as he was in the final moments of his life. Upon seeing nothing on this plain of existence, he questions whether he deserves a great afterlife due to his final months on Earth. The questions and his gaunt appearance disappear as he sees Jenny. He runs to her, embracing her as the movie comes to a close.

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Thoughts, critiques, criticisms...

Interesting idea.... as it stands it'd make a very interesting short.