After sundown the world now belongs to winged carnivorous monsters who are on the brink of wiping out humanity. As the military desperately tries to eradicate the creatures a teenaged girl, trapped outside after dusk, must find a way to survive the night.

SYNOPSIS:

LATE AFTERNOON ON A TWISTY MOUNTAIN ROAD . . .As the day nears its end an SUV negotiates the sharp curves, going too fast. TABITHA CLARKE (16),

is riding while her brother, KEN (19) drives. Tired of Ken's music, Tabitha tries to take his CD out of the

player to put in her own, causing a strenuous argument.

On the seat between them are several handguns and ammunition. This is their world now.

Distracted by the argument, her brother runs the SUV down the side of the mountain. Miraculously, they

are both unhurt and escape the car after grabbing a couple of handguns and a set of walkie-talkies. There's

no way they'll be able to get home before dark now. They need to find a place to hide, or the creatures will

find them.

The SUV starts to burn, setting off the ammo, and a stray round hits Ken in the leg. Now he can't walk by

himself, so they will not be able to go too far to look for cover.

There are no other cars, no buildings, just a desolate stretch of road and the coming night.

Growing increasingly scared, Tabitha helps Ken to the only cover she could find—a boulder, surrounded

by a few scraggly bushes. It will probably not be enough.

Ken tells her she needs to leave him: the smell of blood will draw the creatures. Tabitha refuses, staying

by his side. She tries to put on a brave face but she's growing more and more afraid.

After the sun sets, they watch a fierce battle between a flight of military helicopters and the creatures. The

creatures win.

Ken dies as a result of his injuries, bleeding out and leaving Tabitha all alone and terrified.

Reluctantly and tearfully, Tabitha leaves her brother's body to find a better hiding place, and as she sneaks

away several creatures find his fresh corpse and savagely tear into it.

Alone and Afraid.Hiding in the forest,Tabitha picks up a distress over her radio—it's her father! As he was out looking for

her and Ken he was captured by the creatures and taken underground to serve as the first meal for of

hatchlings.

In spite of him telling her to stay hidden because she's relatively safe, Tabitha decides to rescue him. As

she is about to enter a cavern the creatures use as a passage underground she is stopped by a cowled and

robed figure, JUDE (16).

Jude tells her that she will be killed if she goes in. She explains her father is in there , captured and about

to be fed to hatchlings.

When Jude sees he can't change Tabitha's mind about going underground he volunteers to guide her. He

goes underground all the time with his father and knows where her father would be.

After a few close encounters Jude and Tabitha find Bobby. He's weak, probably dying, with a bite from a

creature on the back of his neck. Jude explains the creatures' bites are venomous. Jude says they won't be

able to escape at night, but he has a place they can hide until sunup. The creatures will be sleepy and slow.

Jude leads them to a chamber where there are books, journals, and sketches. He explains this is where he

and his father come when they are underground. The acoustics confuse the creatures so they can speak

normally, if quietly.

Jude explains he s a Goddess worshipper, as is his father. They think the creatures are messengers from

Gaea, here to purify the world.

Bobby grows worse and Tabitha wants to take him out. Jude says they'll never make it. He goes to find his

father, who is also underground somewhere, for help. While he's gone Tabitha looks over the journals and

books.

Tabitha goes to sleep and, when she awakens after a bad dream, she sees Bobby has died. As she realizes

this Jude returns with his father, LEON (60).

Leon explains that the Goddess has promised that she will marry Jude. Tabitha instead pulls out her pistol

on them and forces them to let her go. She enters the tunnels alone and lost as Jude and Leon remain

behind.

While wandering around lost in the maze of tunnels she hears an unearthly wailing that seems to cause the

other creatures to stir, and a rumbling noise to begin.

The rumbling noise grows fainter and fainter, as if the source is moving away. Then she hears explosions

and weapons fire in the distance.

Army Lieutenant ADRIENNE HOOKS (25) emerges from a fresh tunnel underground, fleeing the

firefight at Archer Army Airfield, which is now overrun with the creatures. She's the only survivor.

As she tries to make contact with the base on her radio she picks up Tabitha, instead. Tabitha helps Hooks

cross a chamber full of sleeping adolescent creatures by flinging a burning flare into the chamber to

distract the creatures.

Hooks tells Tabitha that they had a creature captive on base and after an experiment with a device that

was supposed to drive the creatures off - the helicopters Tabitha had seen - failed, the base C.O. had

insisted they experiment on their living specimen. It emitted the cry Tabitha had heard, which was

apparently a call-to-arms for its comrades.

As Hooks makes Tabitha wait in the tunnel so she can explore a chamber, Jude attacks Tabitha. Jude tries

to quiet her by putting his hand over her mouth - Tabitha bites a chunk out of his palm and spits it back at

him, and then squats on the floor and screams, drawing the creatures.

The creatures attack Jude, tearing him to pieces, while Tabitha, Hooks, and Leon, who had hung back in

the shadows, watch. Tabitha and Hooks continue on their way.

After finding a bottomless pit, they find themselves trapped and under attack by swarms of the creatures,

fighting for their lives. Hooks is out of ammo. The sound of another battle draws the remaining creatures

away. Tabitha and Hooks follow them.

Another military team, here to test a new weapon, encounters Tabitha's mother, MARIA (45) out looking

for her missing family. The new weapon is only partially effective and the creatures destroy the team.

Inside the team's vehicle their commander shoots the driver. Hearing the shot, Maria enters the APC to see

the commander activate the self-destruct. He then shoots himself. Maria leaves the APC to see Tabitha at

the entrance to the cavern. She and Hooks had followed the sounds of the battle.

The noise the APC makes with the activated self-destruct causes the dozing creatures to reawaken and

they begin swooping down to attack. Maria tells Tabitha and Hooks to leave as she opens fire with her

pistol on the creatures, causing them to focus on her.

Hooks drags Tabitha away just before the self-destruct goes off. The explosion is intense, collapsing the

cavern, and part of the tunnel where Tabitha and Hooks had taken refuge.

When the dust begins to settle Leon reappears. He confronts Tabitha and Hooks, takes off his cowl and

robe and drops them and his staff on the ground and leaves.

"I've lost everything."With Tabitha now wearing Leon's robe and cowl and carrying his staff, Hooks and Tabitha follow the

tracks of the team's vehicle to find the entrance. Hooks starts down the road, eager to share what she's

learned about the threat, but Tabitha doesn’t follow. Hooks pauses and looks back at her—are you

coming? Stone-faced, Tabitha says nothing. With no time to argue Hooks turns and continues on her way,

encountering an army jeep on the road below that gives her a lift. As the sun goes down and the creatures

begin to emerge behind her, Tabitha turns and goes back into the tunnels.

FACE THE DAY