The sun rose slowly over the desolate Mojave landscape as Herbert gazed back, half awake, at the sunrise off in the distance. Not that he had a choice really, Herbert had been rooted in place his whole life, unable to wander even an inch from the spot he was born in. In the light of the day, Herbert was finally able to access his familiar surroundings for any sort of change in the night. To his dismay, a rock a few feet to his right had shifted towards him a few inches. Herbert glared at the rock for having disrupted the status quo and was mildly started when a lizard crawled out from under it and ran off into the desert, away from Herbert’s angry glare. Left in silence, Herbert gazed back out toward the sunrise on the horizon.

Some time later Herbert noticed a cloud of dust on the horizon. Not uncommon, except that this cloud of dust appeared to be heading straight toward him. Fear gathered in his gut as the cloud slowly drew closer to Herbert, appearing to have some mass leading it. As it drew closer, Herbert could make out a vaguely round shape as the source of the dust and he began to hear a whistling as it approached. When it was close enough, Herbert realized that the whistling, dust-causing ball was a tumbleweed roaming across the desert. Herbert’s fear immediately turned into annoyance at the weed as it stopped briefly to stare at him before continuing along, merrily whistling. Herbert glaring at him until he was completely out of view and no longer a bother to his peaceful silence.

Sometime later in the evening, Herbert, still dwelling on his confrontation work the weed, saw another dust cloud on the horizon heading his way. As it grew closer, irritation grew in Herbert as he brain stormed ways to display this to the weed when it past. However, as the cloud grew closer Hebert began to notice that this cloud was getting larger. In fact if wasn't the tumble weed at all, it was a storm. Unable to run, Herbert had no choice but to face it head on.

The storm engulfed Herbert, blinding him with wind and sand, and tearing his hat from his head and carrying it off into the abyss. After a few minutes, the storm passed leaving the dessert as still as before with Herbert, now hatless, staring off into the still horizon again. After an extended period of time, Herbert, still lamenting over the loss of his only worldly possession, heard a familiar whistling approaching. At this point Herbert didn’t care anymore and abandoned any attempt to antagonize the weed as it rolled by. He barely noticed when the weed stopped rolling and turned to observe Herbert and his lifeless gaze. Herbert didn’t notice when the weed rolled off either or even hear it coming back, but he did notice the feeling of something being lowered on his head. His hat was back. Something had placed it back on his head for him. Turning to his left he was surprised to find the weed sitting on his arm, having somehow climbed up without Herbert noticing. The weed quickly rolled off after startling Herb, and sat front and center staring at him blankly. The two shared a few moments of silence, Herbert still confused about what had just transpired, before the weed turned once again to roll off into the horizon. Herbert managed to piece together an awkward wave at the leaving tumbleweed before he vanished into the distance, leaving Herbert alone, but more comforted than ever.

Tim kept rolling as the sun rose slowly over the Mojave. He had been roll around the desert for as long as he could remember and still found every inch of it exciting to explore as if it were all new to him. Today he rolled west with the rising sun, whistling, as he always did, the only tune he knew to himself, as he scanned the horizon for something to to investigate. Off in the distance he saw a standing object on the horizon he didn’t recognize and began rolling toward it. As he rolled toward it, Tim began to see it take the shape of a lone cactus with a hat staring back at him. Interesting. When he finally got to the cactus, Tim stopped to observe the plant more closely. The cactus stared back at him for a while with equal curiosity, but then scowled at Tim in a look of displeasure. Tim decided it would be a good time to move along and rolled away in search of more to investigate.

A while later, after having found nothing else of interest in the desert, Tim saw a dust storm brewing off in the distance and began heading straight for it. Tim enjoyed dust storms because, although they were noisy and violent, they disoriented him so that he became lost and got to explore everything again. Soon Tim was sucked up into the dust storm and thrown around for a while until it died down dumping him in a delightfully unknown place. Seeing something sticking up out of the desert in the distance, Tim began his exploration again. To his amazement, the object was another cactus. In fact, Tim realized it was the same cactus as before. What were the odds?

Except there was something different about the cactus now. Besides being much sadder looking than before there was something physically different about it Tim realized as he stared at it. After some thinking, Tim finally remembered. The hat! The hat was missing from the cactus. He didn’t look as good without the hat. Tim left in search of the hat. Tim eagerly searched the desert for what couldn’t have been more than a few minutes until he found the hat and began pushing it back towards the sad looking cactus. When he got back to it, the cactus still slouched staring at the ground so Tim took the liberty of putting the hat back on him himself. With some effort, Tim managed to roll the hat and himself onto the cactus and restore the hat to it’s rightful place. The cactus must have noticed the hat’s presence because he immediately perked up and was startled by Tim being on him. Tim politely jumped off the now fully alert cactus and rolled back to observe how it look with it’s hat on. The cactus stared back at Tim with a confused look on it’s face and Tim decided that this was definitely the cactus from before. Satisfied with his work, Tim rolled off to explore the rest of the Mojave.

3rd Person Omniscient: The sun rises slowly over the barren Mojave illuminating the face or Herbert, the sole inhabitate of the desert for as far as he can see. The bored and easily agitated Herbert scans the land around him for any sort of unwelcomed disturbance that might have transpired in the night and, once he is content that no change has occurred, returns to lifelessly staring at the desert horizon. After a while a whistling tumbleweed name Tim begins to approach Herbert. Having seen Herbert’s shape from far off in the distance, Tim follows his natural curiosity and goes to investigate the object. At first, the dust cloud caused by Tim’s approach worries Herbert who doesn't know how to react this unexpected event, but as Herbert realizes the cause of the dust to be the approaching tumbleweed his fear quickly turns to annoyance. When Tim finally reaches Herbert, the two exchange curious looks for a while until Herbert glares angrily at Tim signally Tim to merrily move on. Herbert’s angry glare follows Tim until he is complete out of Herbert’s view and Herbert is once again left in peace to stare at the horizon.

After some time has past. Herbert notices a dust cloud on the horizon. Assuming it to be the tumbleweed, Herbert gives it an annoyed look as it grows closer only to find a dust storm to be it’s actual cause. A ways away, Tim who has been wandering the desert, is scooped up by this storm and carried off against his will as the storm approaches and engulfs Herbert. After buffering Herbert for a few minutes, the dust storm eventually tears Herbert’s hat from his head before passing into the distance and dying down.

Tim, disoriented by the storm, recommences his exploration of the desert and happens to once again stumble upon a now depressed, hatless, Herbert, who barely notices his presence at all. Tim notices that Herbert is missing his hat and, without a second thought, goes off the find and return it. Upon his return, Tim manages to roll himself onto of Herbert in order to place the hat back on his head and, upon doing so, knocks Herbert from his stupor. Herbert is surprised and in shock by Tim’s actions and only manages to stare at the weed as he rolls of Herbert’s arm to gain a better look of Herbert with his hat restored. Satisfied with his work, Tim turns and rolls of whistling into the desert as a stunned Herbert finally manages a friendly wave to thank Tim for the only act of kindness he has ever experience.

FADE IN:

EXT. MOJAVE - MORNING

The sun illuminates a desolate desert landscape populated by a lone cactus facing the sunrise. Mild winds Whoosh by. Crickets Chirp.

Sunlight slowly sweeps up across Herbert's bored face.

Herbert's eyes move back and forth as he surveys his surroundings. Crickets Stop.

Herbert stares at a nearby rock until a lizard Scurries out and looks back at him blankly. Herbert glares and the lizard flees.

Herbert goes back to blankly staring at the horizon.

Far away shot of Herbert alone in the desert. Whooshing winds.

Close up on Herbert's eyes going wide.

Distant shot of dust cloud growing closer on the horizon.

Back to close up of Herbert's eyes.

Back to shot of dust getting closer. Sound of Whistling begins to fade in.

Close up on Herbert's eye now confused.

Whistling grows louder as Tim the tumbleweed begins to come into view.

Tim rolls near Herbert, Whistling, before stopping and turning to stare at him blankly.

Herbert and Tim exchange stares in silence until Herbert glares at the weed. Tim calmly turns and rolls away whistling.

Herbert continues to glare until Tim's whistling vanishes.

Herbert returns to watching the horizon.

Far away shot of Herbert alone. Whooshing.

FADE OUT

EXT. MOJAVE - AFTERNOON

Close up as Hebert's eye perk open a bit.

Shot of another dust cloud on the horizon.

Close up of Herbert's eyes, annoyed look. Grumble.

Shot of cloud getting closer and Herbert getting more annoyed.

Shot of Herbert as Winds begin to pick up and debris begins to fly around him. Worried expression.

Far away shot of huge dust storm approaching and engulfing Herbert.

Shot of Herbert in storm, squinting and beaten by sand.

Tim flies by in the background of the storm.

Hat Flies off. Eyes go wide and follow it.

More sand flies at Herbert blinding him.

SWEEP CUT

Storm passes and Herbert Shakes off sand.

Herbert Frantically looks around to find his hat.

Herbert Struggles to turn around to continue looking to no avail.

Herbert, saddened, looks up to where his hat used to sit and Sighs.

Herbert slouches, not longer looking at horizon.

Far away shot of Herbert alone, slouching, in the desert.

EXT. MOJAVE - CONTINUOUS

Close up of Herbert staring depressed at the ground.

Shot of Herbert slouching as Whistling is heard growing closer.

Shot of Tim rolling up towards a spaced-out Herbert and stopping in front of him. Whistling stops.

Tim stares at Herbert. Herbert still depressed.

Tim turns and rolls back the way he came Whistling again.

Close up of Herbert as Whistling once again fades.

Distant shot of Tim rolling back towards Herbert with Herbert's hat, and tosses the hat back onto Herbert's head using the hat's momentum defying all notions of physics.

Shot lingers on Herbert as hat is place on his head from out of frame.

Herbert is knocked from his stupor and surprise by the return of both Tim and his hat.

Herbert, in shock, looks between Tim ans his hat in confusion.

Herbert and Tim share a dramatic shot of eye contact. Dramatic Violins.

Tim nonchalantly starts rolling away and Whistling off towards the horizon.

Herbert stares wide eyed at him as he leaves. A single flower blooms into existence on Herbert's head as he stares watching Tim leave.

FADE OUT.