MIDNIGHT BLUE a script © 2001 by Garrett Gilchrist First Draft 10/2/99 Completed February 14, 2001 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Black screen. We hear the voice of ANNA PAIGNOIR, though we can see nothing. ANNA VOICEOVER If I were honest with myself, I would admit that I am sick of life. Not terminally sick and ill, as so many are, but fed-up and praying that it doesn't last forever. Abrupt cut. It is a sunny day in the park. ANNA's face fills the screen. She couldn't be a day over twenty, blonde and pretty. ANNA VOICEOVER If I ever live to be 200 years old, I want to have myself killed. We pull back. She is sitting on a park bench. There is greenery all about and a library behind her. She is dressed in clothes seeming to come from another, more refined era. People pass by in front of her, paying her no mind. ANNA VOICEOVER But of course, I know I won't. I will die at the age of ninety-seven, whilst attending a rock concert in Poland. Every step of my life has been planned in advance. I only act as fate's puppet. She picks up a miniature tape recorder on which the previous voiceover has been playing, and clicks "record," speaking into it. ANNA It is now the eighteenth year of my life. The date is October the 22nd. This is the day I am to meet the man I'm going to marry. A young man passes by in front of Anna quickly, paying her no mind. ANNA That was him. My future husband. She shakes her head. Isn't life stupid? A well-dressed black BUSINESSMAN of about 35 years of age sits down next to Anna and opens his briefcase, thumbing through the documents inside. He notices her seeming depression and lack of movement, and turns to her with a cautious smile. She continues staring straight ahead. He looks disappointed, and continues tearing through his papers. After a moment, she stands up robotically, still staring straight ahead, and walks. EXT. PARK - DAY A weaving, very artificial grassy path in the park, along which ALEX PRESSMAN, the young man seen passing by Anna earlier, is walking. We can hear music students practicing on the trumpet nearby. He passes a series of streetlights, unlit as it is noon. He is absent-mindedly folding and unfolding a slip of yellow paper. He stops, and notices a quarter lying on the ground. This he picks up, and places in his pocket. He continues to walk in the same direction, but now we see ANNA following him in the distance. He passes one of the trumpeters. Anna approaches closer. He passes another trumpeter, with a coin cup by his feet, and stops to give him the quarter. He continues on his way. Anna is nowhere to be seen. Close shot on ANNA, peeking out from behind some bushes, unmoving and hidden. ALEX is still walking. He hears birdsong, and it startles him. He then smacks right into a RAGGED OLD MAN in jogging uniform and beard, knocking the old man to the ground. ALEX Oh! Oh, I-I didn't see you, I'm so sorry! OLD MAN My father owned a horse farm. ALEX is helping the OLD MAN to his feet, though the old-timer seems quite capable himself. ALEX I guess I wasn't looking the right way ... OLD MAN An apology and an excuse are hardly the same thing. You're a young fool, but growing. The OLD MAN takes ALEX's hand and pats it in reassurance, leaving a quarter in ALEX's palm. He jogs away. ALEX is bewildered. ALEX Wait, uh ... hmm. ALEX notices the trumpets again. He gives a look of mild annoyance, and, still holding the quarter, walks away, faster this time. ANNA moves into view, walking right alongside him. After a moment, he glances at her. Then glances away. Then glances at her again. She looks at him, with a blank expression. ALEX Hello. ANNA Hello. They both look straight forward again, and just walk for a bit. Alex looks at his quarter. ALEX You know, they say you can make a fortune out of twenty-five cents. ANNA Is that true? ALEX No, but that's what they say. Anna says nothing. Alex stares straight ahead again, and walks. Silence, except for the trumplet playing, which seems to be getting louder. ALEX Terrible, isn't it? For the first time, we see Anna break her concentration. ANNA What? What's terrible? ALEX The trumpet playing. It's terrible. Maybe they're thinking if they can make themselves sound pathetic enough, they'll pick up a government grant to get better. ANNA I hadn't noticed there were trumpets playing. Again, they both return to staring forward. ALEX Obviously I've done something or other to offend you, so I'm sorry. ANNA Hmm? ALEX I just meant that, well, I don't know what I meant. Rather a symptom of every relationship I've ever had, really. ANNA No, it's not like that at all. ALEX Right, I'm confused. I'm always confused. I shouldn't talk. I'm taking a walk in the park. That should be easy enough, right? She kisses him on the cheek. They both stand still. ANNA Meet me here tomorrow. She turns a corner to the right and runs off, leaving a bewildered ALEX behind. He touches his cheek with his hand. He now just takes off running. As he passes, the trumpeters are be replaced by mythical pipers, centaurs and pixies, and the entire landscape becomes a pastoral dream. The OLD MAN stands by the side of the road, smoking. FADE TO BLACK WALDEN So she just kissed you on the cheek and ran off. ALEX Yeah. Just like that. WALDEN Well, better than no action at all I suppose. ALEX She said to meet her back there tomorrow, I guess right along the path to the music building. WALDEN She's either easy, crazy, or playing games with you. Either way it could be fun. Never heard of anyone here dating a mental patient before. ALEX She is not a mental patient. I don't know who or what she is, but a mental patient, no. WALDEN chuckles. They open the doors and enter the cafeteria, which more resembles the food court at a mall. They get in line for the Mexican foods counter. WALDEN You hear Fords Hall got broken into? ALEX Again? That's the second campus break-in this week. I gotta start locking my door. WALDEN When's your next class? ALEX Not until 2. East Asian Ethical Thought. WALDEN I thought you were an animation major. ALEX I was. I am. It's a required course. WALDEN Doesn't have anything to do with animation, does it? ALEX I'm beginning to feel like I'm never going to get to take any course at this school even remotely resembling what I actually want to do with my life. I think they're secretly preparing me for a standard, faceless, boring desk job. Every step of my college career seems to have been planned in advance without my participation. I'll be taking Biosci next. I hate Biosci. People who create course requirements should be locked up in cages so they can't reproduce. They are by now next in line. WALDEN You should relax, man. Look at you. You're wound up so tight I half- expect blue play-doh to start coming out of your mouth. [to woman at counter] Um, a beef burrito please. INT - CAFETERIA [another part of] - DAY Two skater-types, T-BALL and ROBESPIERRE, are debating back and forth with each other, which is from all appearances their favorite pastime. They can pass for normal students in L.A., where this script is taking place, but would look like minor felons anywhere else. T-BALL wears shades, ROBESPIERRE a ski cap. T-BALL And I'm all, siddown and shut your mouth because the T-man is here for some lovin'. And she's all, like, what? So I gots to repeat it, all slow-like, and I'm thinking, I'm all like smooth right there, I know where it is, and she knows too. ROBESPIERRE Yeah, yeah, right. So was she hot? T-BALL Naw, total skank. But she wanted it. I know she wanted what I was selling. ROBESPIERRE What were you sellin', man? T-BALL Nothin', man, not that day. I don't put the business on no 2-bit hos. All they're gettin' is me, you know what I'm sayin'? ROBESPIERRE Who was this skank bitch? T-BALL Your sister, man. ROBESPIERRE Ay, screw you. ANOTHER ANGLE We see ALEX and WALDEN, carrying burrito-laden trays, walk into the dining area. ALEX Oh, no, it's those freaks again. WALDEN Who? ALEX Those two. Just ignore them. ALEX tries to look the other way as he passes T-BALL and ROBESPIERRE, but they see him. T-BALL Hey, man, look who's here! ROBESPIERRE Yeah, how's it goin' man? When you gonna come and smoke some weed with us? ALEX Hello Robespierre. Hello T-Ball. ROBESPIERRE When you gonna light up a fat one with us, man? T-BALL [To WALDEN, indicating ALEX] This guy here does more drugs than anyone I know, man. ALEX No, I don't. Really. T-BALL He's the freakin' king of blunt, man. ROBESPIERRE All the way, bitch. T-BALL Tonight, man, tonight at 110 Nightingale Street, you're coming with us, we're gonna light one up. ALEX I told you, I don't smoke, I don't drink coffee, I don't ... ROBESPIERRE No, no, man, you gotta. T-BALL [To WALDEN] At East Coast Orientation this guy turns to everyone and asks if reality exists. ROBESPIERRE That's messed-up, man. T-BALL You have got to come smoke a bowl with us. You too, man. ALEX I'm gonna walk away now, okay? T-BALL Nightingale tonight, man! [laughs] ALEX and WALDEN walk away and sit down at another table and start eating. WALDEN Who are those guys? ALEX I don't know. I keep running into them every time I'm here. WALDEN At least they seem harmless enough. ALEX What do you think I should do about this girl? WALDEN The one you're seeing tomorrow? ALEX Yeah. WALDEN What's her name? ALEX That's funny, I don't know. She never told me. WALDEN When are you meeting her? ALEX I ... I don't know that either. WALDEN You're off to a good start then. INT. KITCHEN - EVENING A large, shiny knife slices down hard on a rotten tomato. MERCY BIDDLE PAIGNOIR, a late-middle aged woman in an apron, is preparing what looks like an entirely inedible dinner. Her hair is white and her face colorless -- there is very little color visible anywhere in the room, in fact. Attached to her hair is a portion of spiderweb, and dust and age are visible everywhere. The room has the look of a faded old photo. MERCY PAIGNOIR's actions are mechanical and repetitious. All the food she is preparing is either long-gone-rotten or, in the case of the bread, just plain petrified. In the corner of the very Victorian-era room is a corpselike old man, ANGUS PAIGNOIR, sitting in a rocking chair with an unlit pipe in his mouth. He is overrun with cobwebs. ANGUS Is dinner ready yet, dear? MERCY Not yet, dear, just keep waiting. ANGUS But I've been waiting here for over twenty years. MERCY Good food takes time, dear. ANGUS Where's the cat? MERCY Where it always is, Angus, by your feet. ANGUS strains himself to look down, and sees the figure of a grey cat, frozen in place like a taxidermist's dummy. ANGUS So it is, so it is. Come here, little pussycat. He pets the lump of a cat lovingly and it suddenly vaporizes into dust. ANGUS Dear, the cat's just gone to dust. MERCY What was that, dear? ANGUS I said the cat's just melted into dust. MERCY Well, don't worry about that, dear, we can always just get one of the other ones out of storage. The door opens with an audible creak. ANNA steps through, just home from school. MERCY Who is that, dear? ANGUS It's Anna, dear. ANNA Hello, Uncle Angus. She kisses him on the cheek. ANNA Hello, Aunt Mercy. She kisses her on the cheek. MERCY How was your day at the school, Anna? ANNA Fine as usual. ANGUS Still doing that book learning, Anna? ANNA Yes, Uncle Angus. ANGUS I hope you make sure to learn yourself to cook and run a household while you're at it. ANNA That's what you say every day. ANGUS As well I might! I won't have my brother's only granddaughter turning into an old maid! ANNA smiles. ANNA I'm going up to my room now. MERCY Don't you want to stay for supper, Anna? ANNA That's all right. I've already eaten. I'm sorry about the cat. ANGUS Oh, I'm not sad. It was old; these things happen. ANNA Goodbye now. She climbs a dusty rotating staircase to reach her room. INT. ANNA'S ROOM - EVENING It looks like a girl's room abandoned at college age and left alone for 15 years. The perspective and depth of this and the other rooms in the house are slightly off ... much of what we see is curiously two-dimensional, and certainly doesn't seem as real as Anna herself. She looks at a pile of dozens of decomposing teddy bears, stacked on an ancient toy chest. ANNA VOICEOVER The remains of dead and dying teddy bears haunt the corners of my room. The decaying house I live in is trying desperately to ignore the passing of time. But time is destroying it, just as fate is destroying me. On my dresser is a diary which is already filled out in my own handwriting for every entry until the day I die. She picks this diary up and unlocks it with a golden key. She opens it and hops onto her bed, flipping through pages with an attempt at teenage glee. CLOSE-UP OF PAGES Written in colored pen, an authentic diary of youth. She flips through it quickly. ANNA VOICEOVER My diary. My memories. I don't remember writing any of this. It's been in this room since the day I was born. ANGLE ON ANNA'S FACE Showing an intelligence beyond her years. ANNA VOICEOVER The most disturbing part is reading about what happens when I grow old. We pull out from this and back, through Anna's [closed] window and outside. EXT. PAIGNOIR HOUSE - EVENING The camera continues to pull back, down and onto street level. The sun is setting; it is getting quite dark but not pitch-black quite yet. The house is very strange, as if two quite different houses had been unceremoniously dropped and grafted onto each other. One looks modern, and one seems to date back to the original colonies. Neither forms much of a coherent whole. They are, for one thing, different colors. ROBESPIERRE and T-BALL come into view, riding skateboards. ROBESPIERRE This house frickin' scares me, man. T-BALL Ah, you piss your shorts whenever you find an excuse to. ROBESPIERRE Yeah, take it up your ass with the rest of your friends, you damn redneck fascist. T-BALL Fascist yourself. ROBESPIERRE Don't it look like a lot a people died in that house though, man? T-BALL Totally. (pause) I'm gonna throw an egg at it. ROBESPIERRE You got an egg? T-BALL Yeah. He pulls an egg out of a plastic carrying case with foam inlay perfectly sculpted to hold it, and tosses it at ANNA'S WINDOW. It splatters on the glass. INT. ANNA'S ROOM - EVENING ANNA reacts and looks out the window. T-BALL and ROBESPIERRE laugh and skate away. She shakes her head and jumps back on the bed with her diary, knocking a pillow of the bed as she does. She goes to pick the pillow up and notices that there is a quarter underneath where the pillow was. She picks the quarter up and looks at it, confused. EXT. PARK - DAY ALEX is sitting on a park bench, looking at the quarter he is holding in his hand and waiting for someone. The black BUSINESSMAN seen earlier sits down next to Alex and looks through his briefcase. They look at each other awkwardly. ALEX I'm waiting for someone. BUSINESSMAN Are you? ALEX A girl. She said she'd meet me tomorrow, yesterday. BUSINESSMAN Really. ALEX She didn't give a time, though. The BUSINESSMAN closes his briefcase. ALEX I feel very stupid right now. You don't care, though. BUSINESSMAN Good luck. The BUSINESSMAN leaves. CLOSE-UP ON ALEX Looking tired and lost. He puts the quarter in his shirt pocket. WIDE SHOT ON BENCH Anna is now sitting next to Alex. ANNA I'm sorry I'm late. Alex reacts with shock. ALEX Hello! Oh! No, you aren't late, are you? I don't think you gave a time you were going to be here or anything ... did you? ANNA I'm late. The second time we saw each other, I had an appointment to keep and was late. ALEX Okay. ANNA We went to a restaurant, laughed and talked about our little lives. ALEX We did? ANNA We are. We haven't yet. ALEX Is that what you want to do right now? ANNA I don't want anything. ALEX You're sort of a confusing person, you know that? ... I'm sorry, I don't mean anything bad by that. It's just that ... ANNA I know. ALEX I don't even know your name, do I? I mean, if you don't want to tell me your name, that's fine, you don't have to tell me anything, I mean maybe your name is a special and secret thing to you, that's fine with me, if your name is, I don't know ... what's your name? ANNA Anna Paignoir. ALEX Oh. That's a beautiful name. ANNA [softly] Yes, that's what I knew you'd say. ALEX What was that? ANNA It isn't important. ALEX I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that, should I? I usually make an idiot of myself, but only when I'm nervous, of course I'm nervous most of the time and I should stop talking right now. ANNA You're doing fine. ALEX No, I don't think I am, because you just keep staring straight ahead, and I really don't know why you're here, why I'm here, why are you here? ANNA I'm here. Isn't that enough? ALEX But who are you? What are you studying here? Why did you decide to sit on a park bench with me instead of ignore me like every other pretty girl I see here? ANNA My name is Anna Paignoir. Daughter of Connie and Paul. I had a happy childhood and a difficult adolescence but am coming out of it a strong and independent young woman, whose soul will be crushed later by my husband but who I will eventually reach a loving understanding with. ALEX You have a husband? ANNA No, I don't. ALEX But you just said ... ANNA Please ignore what I'm saying and just try to enjoy yourself. ALEX I'm sorry, I can't enjoy myself when other people around me are unhappy. ANNA Who's unhappy? ALEX You are, and I don't know why. It makes me sad. ANNA [angry] What do you want me to do? ALEX I don't want you to do anything! ANNA Of course you do! You always did! ALEX I "always did?" What are you talking about? We just met yesterday! ANNA I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I was out of line. You're breaking my concentration. You're nice. I like you. That's why we get along. ALEX [shocked] Oh, um, thank you. ANNA And you're embarrassed because you suddenly realize you've forgotten to introduce yourself. ALEX laughs. ALEX That's right, I have, haven't I? I probably look like a total jerk right now. ANNA No. ALEX Hello Anna. My name's Alex Pressman. ANNA Yes, it is. She checks her watch. ANNA We should go to a restaurant. ALEX Now? ANNA Yes, about now I'd say. ANNA grabs ALEX's wrist tightly, stands and pulls him off the bench. He is shocked as she drags him along very fast. ALEX Can you let go of my wrist, please? She shrugs and lets go, then continues walking very fast. He runs to keep up. ALEX Where are you going? ANNA We're going to that place you suggested. ALEX I didn't suggest any place. ANNA Well, suggest a place. To eat. ALEX Like, a nice place? ANNA A little cafeteria, on-campus, is what you suggested. ALEX Okay, then a little cafeteria, on campus. Grillway 79, that's closest. They're more expensive than I'd like, but okay. ANNA laughs. ALEX Why did you laugh? ANNA I don't know, did you say something funny? ALEX Not really, no. ANNA "Not really, no." [laughs] You're so serious. Loosen up. Say something funny. ALEX Okay ... guy goes into a dentist's office, wants to have his wisdom teeth removed. So the dentist gasses him, does his stuff, and when the guy wakes up the dentist gives him the bill. It's twice what the guy wanted to pay, but he pays it anyway. Then he notices his wisdom teeth are still there. Says to the dentist, "Hey, you didn't take my wisdom teeth out!" Dentist says, "Hell man, you're paying my prices, you need all the wisdom you've got!" ANNA smiles. ANNA That isn't funny. ALEX Well, gimme some time to warm up, hell, a minute ago you were laughing when I suggested a place to eat. I should keep at that, do what's been successul. Hey, let's go to Taco Loco! ANNA laughs. ALEX See, it works, that's funny. I know a lot of places to eat, I can keep you entertained for hours. INT - CAFETERIA - DAY ANNA is laughing. ANNA So you haven't shown up to a class all week? ALEX No, I go to all the other classes, it's just this one class. I just overslept one day and there it went. ANNA But it's a 4:00 class. You were asleep at 4 in the afternoon? ALEX Yeah. I got to bed very late that morning. ANNA And you've been doing this all week. ALEX Well, I didn't, all the other days I've been wide awake. I just thought about the world of pain I'll be in once I come back and face Professor Paris, and realized I just didn't want to go to class at all. ANNA But how are you managing to pass the class? ALEX I'm not, I guess. I don't care. ANNA Alex, you can't do that, I mean that's just not done! ALEX It's not done, but it's done, I mean I did it, there's nothing I can do about it now. ANNA That's terrible. ALEX No it's not. Who cares if I miss a couple of classes of goddamned Renaissance Drama? That's all it is, you know, Renaissance Drama. Everything in that class I already learned in high school. They just don't believe it because the educational system in this state is so bad, they figure everyone was just skipping high school, getting stoned or laid. Well, they could have told me when I was studying every goddamn night back then! I'm supposed to be studying animation, you know? So why aren't I? ANNA I don't know. ALEX Because this school isn't letting me, that's why, because they've planned out every single step of my college life from the second I got here. They pretend I'm filling out the course schedule, but I have to do it to their regulations. They always get their way. I'll take Geology, Bio Sci, I HATE Bio Sci. And I'm sick of being told what I have to do and where I have to be every second of every day. ANNA We have rules for a reason, Alex. You can't just throw your education away. ALEX Education? This isn't an education Anna, it's a lie, a sham, an untruth of a falsehood of a sham of a lie. ANNA Why? ALEX Because I know, in here ... [he indicates his heart] ... that it's not what I'm supposed to be doing. You know I've never kissed a girl? ANNA No, I didn't know that. ALEX How would you feel if I kissed you right now? Hard. On the lips. ANNA We didn't kiss until our fourth time together. We don't. We won't. I mean. ALEX kisses her. ANNA You shouldn't have done that. ALEX I'm sorry. They kiss again, more passionately this time. ALEX What do you say we get out of here, go for a walk on the beach? ANNA gets out of her chair. ALEX follows. ANNA I have to get home. We're not supposed to be doing this. ALEX Why not? ANNA We're just not supposed to be doing this. ALEX Anna, do you want to go for a walk, on the beach, with me? ANNA I don't know. It doesn't matter what I want. ALEX It matters to me. A pause. Neither knows quite what to say. ANNA holds out her hand, and ALEX takes it. They leave the cafeteria, hand in hand. EXT - BEACH - DAY ANNA and ALEX are walking along the sand, barefoot. ANNA It's beautiful here. I'm worried. ALEX What about? ANNA Mm, just worried. But it's beautiful. ALEX You're worried that it's beautiful? ANNA No. It's just that ... ALEX It's beautiful that you're worried. ANNA No. It's just ... ALEX You're beautiful when you're worried. ANNA Stop that. ALEX I like the ocean, don't you? ANNA Yes. ALEX Actually, it's not even the ocean I like. The ocean itself is sort of cold and salty and smelly. ANNA I don't mind that. ALEX Don't get me wrong, I don't mind cold and salty and smelly. Some of my best friends are cold and salty and smelly. That's why we get along. But the ocean, I mean when you look at it from a distance, you see something dark and clear and blue and full of life. ANNA Life. ALEX There's hundreds of millions of species in the ocean that no one's even bothered to categorize yet. There's just a sort of promise and fear and mystery in that, you know? I don't know. ANNA I know. What you mean. I mean. ALEX You mean. ANNA Yes. You can see the ocean, but you can't control or understand it. It obeys a law of its own. ALEX But it's beautiful. ANNA checks her watch. ANNA It's four o'clock. Do you have class? ALEX Yes. ANNA Are you going to it? ALEX No. ANNA You're not worried. ALEX They can get along without me. INT - CLASSROOM - DAY Students are chattering amongst themselves. A FOOTBALL PLAYER and an SORORITY GIRL WITH A NOSE RING are laughing at nothing in particular. They are apparently an item. PROFESSOR PARIS Excuse me, hate to interrupt all your little conversations, but we do have a class to conduct here, and I'm supposed to be conducting it. The classroom atmosphere calms down a bit. It is four o'clock, isn't it? Even less of you here than last week. He looks around the room disapprovingly. If this keeps up, I may have to start taking attendance, and I don't want to do that, I've got enough on my mind right now. Now those of you who were here last week should remember what play we are reading. The students seem barely awake. The Renaissance play we're reading. Right now. Anyone? There is little movement from the class. That's right, it's Dr. Faustus, by Christopher Marlowe. Marlowe. Not Shakespeare. The famous Renaissance playwright who was not William Shakespeare. Now we've been reading this play for three weeks now, and so you should all have bought your books by now, there should be no problem there. Someone in the class scratches the back of their neck. So, since you've all bought and read Dr. Faustus, can you tell me a little about the main character of the play Dr. Faustus? The FOOTBALL PLAYER and the SORORITY GIRL are still smiling and talking amongst themselves. Can anyone tell me the name of the main character in Dr. Faustus? Someone in the back, MIGUEL, raises his hand. Yes, the scrawny Mexican in the back. What's your name? MIGUEL Miguel Agfa, sir. PROFESSOR PARIS And what is the name of the main character in Dr. Faustus, Miguel? MIGUEL The main character of Dr. Faustus is Dr. Faustus, sir. PROFESSOR PARIS Yes! Brilliant, Miguel! You get a gold fucking star for the day! There is total silence in the room. Have you read the play, Miguel? MIGUEL Yes sir. I actually read it on my own, when I was younger. PROFESSOR PARIS Great! Marvelous! Can I ask you a question, Miguel? MIGUEL Yes, sir? PROFESSOR PARIS How much do you think I make in a year? MIGUEL Less than you're worth, sir? PROFESSOR PARIS Fantastic! So you were here on the first day then! MIGUEL Yes, I was sir. PROFESSOR PARIS Can I make a small confession, Miguel? MIGUEL I don't know, sir. PROFESSOR PARIS Just say yes, Miguel. MIGUEL Yes, sir. Yes you can make a confession. PROFESSOR PARIS Well, thank you Miguel. This is my confession. I don't like Dr. Faustus. I don't like teaching it. But you've got me in a good mood, so here we are. All right. Act two, scene one ... EXT - DIRT ROAD NEAR BEACH - DAY ALEX and ANNA are walking along the road. She looks peaceful and almost happy. ALEX Oh, I hate that. ANNA I don't. ALEX You don't hate that? ANNA I don't hate anything. ALEX You have to hate that. I mean, nobody likes that. ANNA I didn't say I liked it all that much. I just said I didn't hate it. ALEX Are you in a good mood or something? ANNA Yes. Now that you mention it, I am. ALEX You're totally cramping my style. I wanted to be depressed today. ANNA You'll be happy and like it. Or else. ALEX Look at those trees. ANNA I like the trees. ALEX Look at that grass. ANNA I like the grass. ALEX Look at that dirt scuffing up our shoes. ANNA I like the dirt. ALEX Look at those crawly disgusting bugs. ANNA I like the crawly disgusting bugs. ALEX There has to be something you don't like. ANNA I like everything today. ALEX Even me? ANNA No, you I despise. I like everything else, though. ALEX Well, okay, as long as you like everything else. ANNA Look at that sky. ALEX You like the bugs more than me? ANNA Sorry Alex. My heart belongs to the bugs. ALEX Damn. OLD MAN My father owned a horse farm. We now see the RAGGED OLD MAN seen earlier sitting by the side of the road holding an empty metal cup. ALEX reaches in his pocket and pulls out a quarter. He tosses it in the OLD MAN's cup. They keep walking. ALEX I think I know that guy. ANNA Really. ALEX Yeah. We used to jog together. ANNA Really. ALEX No, not really. ANNA We should jog. ALEX Why? ANNA I don't know. I feel like jogging. She walks a little faster now, gaining speed as ALEX talks. ALEX No no, physical exercise and me don't mix. I have no stamina. I have a fear of stamina. Staminaphobia. My body and I are kind of reevaluating our relationship right now. It's a sort of trial separation. We're seeing other heart rates. She takes off and runs, leaving ALEX in the dust. He speeds up and follows her. ALEX Hey! That's not jogging, that's running! You're speeding in a jog zone! ANNA Try to catch me! ALEX [breathing hard] Stop! I can't sprint well! I'm not a sprinty kind of person! ANNA I'm gonna leave you behind! ALEX No, I can do this! I'm just gonna need a paramedic afterwards. We watch from a distance as ALEX catches up to ANNA. They are on the sidewalk of a main road now. They pass a car which is caught in traffic. The well-dressed black BUSINESSMAN seen earlier is in it. He has a headache. Close-up on ANNA. She is smiling, running at top speed. We hear a CATHEDRAL BELL ring inside her mind. Her smile fades. She stops. The BELL rings five times. ALEX What's wrong? ANNA I have to get home. ALEX Can I call you sometime? She is walking quickly away now. ANNA No. I mean I don't have a telephone. Well, I do, but it was disconnected. I'll see you. I will. I mean. Sometime. ALEX When can I see you again? ANNA In three days. At noon. By the library. We hear the BELL ring again, louder. ANNA winces and covers her ears. The bell rings again. ALEX Something's wrong, isn't it? ANNA I have to go. We hear the bell ring again, and again, as ANNA runs far off into the distance. ALEX doesn't know what to think. A FIVE-YEAR-OLD BOY passes by. ALEX glances at him. The BOY is ringing a tiny toy bell. We hear the LOUD, ECHOING CATHEDRAL BELL one more time. INT - CLASSROOM - DAY We see great literature and soft pornography on Professor Paris' desk. The Professor himself is sitting alone at that desk, reading "The Authoritative Calvin & Hobbes." ALEX enters, hesitantly. PARIS [not looking up] No, we don't have any more pencils. ALEX I'm not looking for pencils. PARIS Good. Because we haven't got any. ALEX I'm sorry. Pause. The Professor smiles at one of the comics he's reading. ALEX My name is Alex Pressman. I'm in your Renaissance Drama class, wednesdays and fridays at four. PARIS [still not looking up] No you're not. ALEX No, I am, actually. PARIS Were you in the class today? ALEX No, I wasn't. PARIS Then don't contradict me. ALEX I'm sorry. PARIS You're sorry about a lot of things, aren't you? ALEX No, I don't know. Okay, yes, I am. PARIS I'm not. I'm not sorry about anything. And I've done a few things I should be sorry about. ALEX I just wanted to say I'm sorry for not being in class the last few days, and I'd thought up an excuse for it, a good one, but I didn't want to lie so I really have no excuse. The PROFESSOR puts his book down. PARIS Do you think ordinary people are capable of murder? ALEX I don't know. PARIS What were you doing today instead of coming to my class? ALEX I was at the beach with a young lady. Anna. Her name is. PARIS smiles. PARIS Good for you. Did you read Dr. Faustus? ALEX Yes, I read it three weeks ago. PARIS Did you get anything out of it? ALEX Yes. It made me think. PARIS Are you coming to class next week? ALEX I don't know. Yes. PARIS Oh, I don't care if you're there or not. Hell, I'd skip it if I could. Just read the material and show up on test day. ALEX Yes, sir. PARIS Don't call me sir. You sound like a damned idiot. ALEX I call everyone sir. Sometimes. I mean. A pause. ALEX backs out the door and leaves. PROFESSOR PARIS returns to his book. INT - HALLWAY OUTSIDE CLASSROOM - DAY ALEX walks down the hallway bewildered. We see ROBESPIERRE and T-BALL behind him a ways and follow them. ROBESPIERRE She put up new wallpaper in the dining room. T-BALL Floral print? ROBESPIERRE That's what I told her, but the bitch had to get fancy. Totally clashes with the rest of the decor. T-BALL Man, that just ain't right. They now notice ALEX, who's been trying to avoid being seen. ROBESPIERRE Hey, looky who this is! T-BALL 'Sup, dog? Where you been at? ALEX Hello Robespierre, hello T-Ball. T-BALL When you gonna light one up with us, man? [laughs] ROBESPIERRE Yeah man, we're gettin' tired a' waitin' here. T-BALL [to ROBESPIERRE] You know it, ho. ROBESPIERRE [to T-BALL] No man, you my ho. ALEX How have you two been? T-BALL We cool. ROBESPIERRE Tonight, man, we smoke a bowl, y'dig? ALEX Who the hell are you guys? T-BALL What you mean, dog? ALEX I mean, who are you? I don't know you. I don't know who you are or where you come from. Why are you talking to me like this, I mean practically every goddamn day? And you know I'm not going to smoke pot with you. T-BALL That's harsh, man. ROBESPIERRE Yeah, you just harshed our buzz. T-BALL I thought you were cool, man. ALEX Well, I'm not. I'm very uncool. ROBESPIERRE [laughs] We know that, man. We just playin'. ALEX All right. As long as we understand each other. T-BALL Yeah, we savvy where you comin' from. ALEX I hope so. ROBESPIERRE So we gonna smoke it later, man? ALEX Maybe later, man. ROBESPIERRE Right on! ROBESPIERRE and T-BALL walk on out of sight. ALEX shakes his head. T-BALL Does the print at least match with the tablecloth? ROBESPIERRE That's the problem. We'll have to get a new one. T-BALL I hope you can still use the same napkins. EXT. ANNA'S HOUSE - DAY A CATHEDRAL BELL chimes insistently. ANNA walks up the stone steps to her house. A halo of mist surrounds everything. Her feet start to catch on the steps. She looks below her in disbelief. The steps are melting very slightly, taking on the consistency of sticky rubber as she walks. She now runs, bits of the steps coming off on her shoes like old gum. She pulls on the doorknob and it crumbles and comes off in her hands. Dust flies everywhere. She pulls on the door itself and it won't budge, it's stuck. She rings the doorbell. ANNA Aunt Mercy! Uncle Angus! I'm home! There is no reply. She tugs on the door again and unleashes a gust of decay and fumes. She coughs from the dust and knocks on the door. No answer. She knocks on the door harder and it falls off its hinges, falling flat onto the dusty floor of the house. There is total darkness inside. ANNA enters. INT. ANNA'S HOUSE - DAY ANNA Uncle Angus? Aunt Mercy? We hear a CAT growl and run by ANNA's feet. She gasps and jumps back. Recovering, she shakes her head and lights a lamp on the wall. Gas lamps all over the ENTIRE HOUSE now light up as if by magic, lighting everything with an otherworldly dimness. ANNA smiles nervously. ANNA Are you awake, Uncle Angus? I had a wonderful day today. I walked on the beach and laughed and jogged ... ANNA's smile fades. We look just ahead of her and where UNCLE ANGUS was sitting before is a faded life-size photo, a two-dimensional cutout of ANGUS stroking a cat. He is smiling, but there is fear in his eyes. In the kitchen, a cutout of AUNT MERCY is frozen forever in place, fixing a dinner never to be eaten. ANNA wipes away a tear and kneels in front of her uncle's photo. ANNA Uncle Angus, Aunt Mercy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to happen this way. I didn't know they'd take you too. An unnaturally thin young woman with wrinkled skin the consistency of old leather, immaculately dressed, smoking a cigarette on a thin black holder and carrying a thick black club of a cane, appears behind ANNA. This is CHARITY PAIGNOIR. CHARITY You broke the rules, Anna. ANNA stands up and faces CHARITY, frightened. ANNA I didn't mean to. CHARITY pounds her cane on the floor. CHARITY Liar! You betrayed us. You decided you'd rather have your little adolescent fun, and all our family history could just fall to hell. ANNA I met him on the bench, just like I was supposed to, I, I ... CHARITY You know I don't enjoy doing this, Anna. You were always my favorite, you know that. But you've put all of us in serious danger. And you're going to have to be punished. ANNA Yes, Charity. Thank you, Charity. CHARITY Anna, I'm your sister, and I love you. Remember that. ANNA Yes, Charity. I remember. CHARITY now STRIKES ANNA ACROSS THE BACK WITH HER CANE. ANNA falls to her knees. CHARITY HITS HER AGAIN AND AGAIN. ANNA falls limply to the ground. CHARITY wipes sweat from her brow and HITS ANNA AGAIN. CHARITY Stand up. For Christ's sake, stand up. ANNA stands up. Tears are streaming down her face. CHARITY Now smile. ANNA is shaking. CHARITY I said SMILE, god damn it! ANNA's lips tremble as she struggles to form a smile. When she does, it is photogenic and perfect. CHARITY That boyfriend of yours is bad news. We're going to find you another one. There is a flash of light and everything changes to the color and consistency of an old photograph, ANNA frozen, smiling. CHARITY is the only thing that moves, remaining in color. CHARITY Now stay there and think about what you've done until I come back. CHARITY walks away, leaving ANNA frozen in time and alone. We hear a CATHEDRAL BELL chime in the distance. INT. ALEX'S DORM ROOM - EVENING A two-person room where one person is missing at the moment. ALEX is sitting on his bed, thinking. The door is open. WALDEN enters, in jovial spirits as usual, holding a rolled-up newspaper, the campus Clarion. WALDEN Heidy-ho, neighbor! ALEX Oh, hi Walden. WALDEN waves the newspaper and unrolls it. WALDEN It happened again. Third time this week. ALEX What happened? WALDEN Break-in at Phillips Tower. Burglar came in this guy's place, took the TV, the computer, everything. ALEX Really? Man. WALDEN If that happened to me I don't know what I'd do. You can insult me, beat me up, you can even kill me, just don't take my stuff. ALEX Mm. ALEX isn't looking at WALDEN, he's still lost in thought. WALDEN You're looking quite lost in thought this evening. Did I interrupt something? Are you and your right hand splitting up? ALEX No. I mean, no you didn't interrupt anything. [smiles] You bastard. WALDEN How'd your meeting with miss mental patient go? ALEX Oh, it went perfect, until she had to go. WALDEN Is she not coming back? ALEX I don't want to talk about it. WALDEN studies ALEX's face for a moment. WALDEN You're lying. ALEX What? WALDEN You do want to talk about what happened between you and the young lady today. You're itching to talk about it. You're burning to talk about it. You're suffering internal bleeding and hemhorraging to talk about it all. ALEX There's nothing to tell. WALDEN Sorry man, you can't lie to me, not like that anyway. If there's one thing I am, it's a good judge of character. ALEX A good judge of character. You. WALDEN Yes. It's why I hate and despise myself. ALEX You want to know what happened. WALDEN Yes, I do. ALEX Well ... she was acting strange. She wanted to go to a restaurant, but not a good one. We went to Grillway 79. WALDEN That definitely ain't good. Smart choice. ALEX Man, she was beautiful. She laughed as I whined about my problems. The good kind of laughter. I felt like going to the beach. I said so. She got nervous. We went anyway, and had an amazing time. WALDEN So what went wrong? ALEX Nothing. Everything was just perfect. Then she freaked, said she had to get home, and ran away like someone who's just missed their own funeral. WALDEN Did you at least get her number? ALEX No. She said she didn't have a telephone. WALDEN Ouch. I've heard putdowns in my day, but that ... ALEX It wasn't a putdown. I don't know what it was. She said she'd meet me again, saturday at noon. WALDEN I bet the police are after her. ALEX Don't be stupid. WALDEN [smiling] I bet she's a criminal mastermind, wanted in every state of the union, running from the law all her life. No fingerprints, no identity ... ALEX I thought you said you were a good judge of character. WALDEN Well, I didn't meet her yet. ALEX And you won't either, if she keeps running like that. WALDEN I can chase her down. I've had practice. ALEX Yeah, I bet women run away from you all the time. WALDEN They do! No joke. I don't mind. I'd run away from me too, if I weren't permanently attached. ALEX She's hiding something from me, I know it. Maybe she's in trouble, maybe she needs help. I wish I knew what to do. Hell, I wish I just knew what I was doing. WALDEN Don't we all. Look, take it easy. Don't think about it too much, it'll kill ya. The only thing that matters is, is she a babe? ALEX Yes. WALDEN And she likes you? ALEX I think so, yeah. WALDEN So, meet her on saturday and watch your back. ALEX You've been reading those ten-cent mystery novels again, haven't you? WALDEN Not reading, man, I've been writing one. I'm almost on the second chapter. ALEX You are hopeless, you know that. WALDEN I know that. And recognizing you have a problem is the first step to recovery, right? ALEX Yeah, that's it. WALDEN Hey, your mental patient love doesn't have a phone, but you do, right? ALEX Yeah. WALDEN Can I steal it? Borrow it. I mean. ALEX Yeah, sure, no one ever calls here anyway. WALDEN yanks ALEX's phone out of the wall and tucks it under his arm. WALDEN Well, I'll leave you and your right hand alone to your endeavors. ALEX You're just jealous 'cuz floor rules prohibit sheep sex in your room after 10 PM. WALDEN Yeah, your mother. ALEX What about her? WALDEN HER TITS. Peace, out, bro. WALDEN leaves, slamming the door. ALEX scratches the back of his neck and thinks about Anna. There is silence for a moment, then we hear SCREECHING, something like fingernails on a blackboard with the other hand operating an ancient glass cutter. ALEX looks up. startled. There, on the other side of the room, the name "ALEX" is being slowly etched into the upper part of the wall, as if by a ghostly force. ALEX gasps. Below "ALEX," the words "HELP ME" appear. INT. ANNA'S HOUSE - EVENING We see a flash cut of Anna still frozen in the same position she was before, two-dimensional, smiling, trapped. A black tear forces its way down her cheek. INT. ALEX'S DORM ROOM - EVENING Alex stares at the words "Help me." ALEX What is this? What do you want? ANGLE ON WORDS "HELP ME" Seeming even more insistent this time. We hear a strange scraping noise. ALEX ... Anna? INT. ANNA'S HOUSE - EVENING A blurry, shaking cut of the frozen Anna which lasts just a moment. ANNA VOICEOVER [hollow and distant] Alex? INT. ALEX'S DORM ROOM - EVENING Alex reacts with shock, hearing Anna's voice but holding his head in pain whenever she talks. ALEX Anna, it is you! INT. ANNA'S HOUSE - EVENING ANNA VOICEOVER What's going on? I can't see anything. Where are you? INT. ALEX'S DORM ROOM - EVENING ALEX I'm in my dorm room. INT. ANNA'S HOUSE - EVENING ANNA VOICEOVER Then how can I hear you? INT. ALEX'S DORM ROOM - EVENING ALEX I don't know. INT. ANNA'S HOUSE - EVENING ANNA VOICEOVER I'm so cold, Alex. Everything's frozen here. INT. ALEX'S DORM ROOM - EVENING ALEX I want to help you, Anna. What do I have to do? INT. ANNA'S HOUSE - EVENING ANNA VOICEOVER It's not worth it, Alex. It's too dangerous and I don't want to upset the family. INT. ALEX'S DORM ROOM - EVENING ALEX Anna, if you're in trouble ... INT. ANNA'S HOUSE - EVENING CHARITY now walks into view behind the frozen Anna, with a tall, burly blonde man in an old-fashioned college sweatshirt following behind her. We'll call him AL. CHARITY [cheerfully, motherly] An-na! I've got a surprise for you ... ANNA VOICEOVER I've made a mistake. I have to go. INT. ALEX'S DORM ROOM - EVENING ALEX Anna, what's going on? The words "HELP ME" fade and disappear from the wall. We hear the scraping noise again, louder, like a connection being turned off. ALEX Anna! INT. ANNA'S HOUSE - EVENING Anna is now unfrozen, black tears dried on her face, sitting on a comfortable couch with AL. He has his arm around her. Charity stands over them behind the couch, grinning with pride. CHARITY I'm so glad you two could meet. INT. ALEX'S DORM ROOM - EVENING Alex sits for a moment, wide-eyed, not knowing what to do or think. He recovers, takes a pen from off his desk, looks at his day calendar and writes on the entry for the next Monday, "Anna - noon - library." He puts the pen and calendar down. Then he shuts off the light and simply falls asleep. TIME-LAPSE PHOTOGRAPHY A sun rises. A sun sets. Nothing much happens. INT. ALEX'S DORM ROOM - NIGHT Alex is sleeping. His eyes move around randomly beneath tightly-closed lids. He winces in pain for some reason, and starts to shake and mutter to himself. He is having a nightmare. We intercut with quick flash cuts of Anna and him together, not lasting more than a few frames, as well as claws and blood and shadowy, monstrous creatures. Although it is night, as we see Alex sleeping the lighting gets brighter, as if some sort of fire were just offscreen. We see Alex running from something black and endless behind him. The floor below him covers itself with ice. He is not running fast enough and the black thing begins to overtake him. He runs faster and faster to avoid it but stumbles and slips on the ice. He flies up in the air backwards and lands suddenly and hard on the cold floor, flat on his back, spitting blood, unconscious or dead. INT. CLASSROOM - DAY CLOSE-UP on Alex's eyes OPENING with a gasp. There is sweat on Alex's forehead. He has just woken up from a very bad dream. A WIDER view shows him to be sitting in Professor Paris' classroom. ALEX looks around him with surprise, having no idea what time or day it is or how he got there. PARIS Faustus obsesses over the image of Helen of Troy, the face that launched a thousand ships. Why is that? Why is he drawn to Helen? ALEX looks down on his desk and sees a day planner set to friday. On the page of the planner he has apparently drawn a sketch of Anna. We see MIGUEL raise his hand. PARIS Yes, the scrawny Mexican who thinks class participation will actually help his grade. MIGUEL Faustus is drawn to Helen because of love, sir? PARIS Lust, Miguel, I was going to say lust. But fine, love, let's talk about love. We've all had unhappy love affairs here. The FOOTBALL PLAYER and the NOSE-RINGED SORORITY GIRL, sitting very close with the arm of one around the other, react confused to this. PARIS What is love? Why does the concept of love exist? Isn't "I love you" just a flowery way of saying "I want to have sex with you?" MIGUEL It isn't just sex, sir. There is a physical and emotional connection that exists between two people. PARIS The physical and emotional connection IS sex, Miguel. We're trying to put a civilized spin on our most base and animalistic instincts. Maybe it's a lie. MIGUEL If it's a lie, sir, it's a beautiful one, and more real than what we call the truth. One or two students laugh at Miguel. PARIS checks his watch. PARIS We're out of time, thank God. Everyone grabs their stuff and starts leaving very quickly. PARIS (as they leave) For next time I want you to write a one-page paper about what you think your parents thought of when they masturbated. Don't turn it in, just write it. And I know I'm boring but at least pretend to be awake, for Christ's sake! ... And buy your books! ALEX is the only one left in the class. He gathers his things absentmindedly and starts to go. PARIS Mr. Pressman, you'd promised to be in class today. Were you? ALEX I'm sorry, I've been a little bit sick lately. PARIS Are you having a problem you'd like to talk about? ALEX No, it's nothing really. PARIS Good. Because I don't actually care. ALEX Is there any place I could get lecture notes for the classes I've missed? PARIS Not really, no. I'm just making it up as I go along anyway. ALEX I don't want to fail the midterm or anything. PARIS Don't worry about it. ALEX Isn't it important to my grade? PARIS Are grades important? ALEX I thought they were. PARIS You want a good grade so you can graduate from college like a good little boy and get a good-paying job like a teacher like me and buy things you don't need and get married and die. ALEX I don't know, I don't think that far ahead. PARIS I killed a man once. ALEX Really. PARIS You wouldn't know it looking at me, would you? I look completely normal. Maybe I am. I used to think I was. ALEX What made you, I mean, what happened? PARIS I'm sitting in my living room grading papers, bored out of my mind. I get up for a drink and when I turn around there's this guy standing right next to me dressed head to toe in black. The window's broken, he's broken into the house. He's got a gun in his hand and I say here, I've got some money, you can have anything you want, just don't hurt me, don't hurt my wife. And he says to shut the fuck up and he jams the gun in my ribs and I take my wallet out and he says no, it isn't going to help, nothing's going to help now. I start to ask him what he's going to do and he hits me to shut me up, knocks the wallet out of my hands, he doesn't take it or anything, it's on the floor. And I can't say anything, I just stand there looking at him and he gives me the gun. He puts it in my hands. He says his wife is dead, she was a heroin addict, he doesn't know where any of his kids are, they wouldn't know who he was anyway, he doesn't have any money or a real home, he had a big drug deal to run and he screwed it up and now he hasn't got anything at all except the clothes on his back and he wants to kill himself but he hasn't got the heart to go through with it. He said he had a happy life once and he wants me to take the gun and shoot him in the head so he doesn't have to worry anymore and he can just go to sleep and never wake up again. That's what he said. We stood there silent for five minutes, he and I. I didn't know what to do or say. So I didn't say anything and I shot him, in the head. He was young. He reminded me of myself at that age, and his brains and blood splattered all over the wall and carpet and he didn't say anything either, he just smiled and died. It was self-defense, that's what I told the police. That's what I told Maureen too. Maureen, my wife. I never told my daughter anything. She never knew. ALEX It's not your fault. He wanted to die. PARIS That's what I told myself, and I never thought about it much after that, not during the day. But sometimes I wake up in a cold sweat and I know I've spent the night wondering what would've happened if I hadn't pulled that trigger. ALEX Why are you telling me all this? PARIS I don't know. There is a pause. PARIS I'll see you wednesday in class. ALEX All right. I'm sorry. PARIS About what? ALEX About not paying attention in class, and things. PARIS You are NOT sorry. Don't ever be sorry about anything. Regrets are for the weak. Just remember what you did wrong and try to do it right the next time. ALEX I'll see you then. ALEX leaves the room. PROFESSOR PARIS sits down at his desk, keeping very still for a moment. He opens the bottom drawer of his desk, takes a bottle of rum out of it, and has a drink. INT - HALLWAY OUTSIDE CLASSROOM - DAY ALEX walks down the hallway still half-asleep. We see ROBESPIERRE and T-BALL behind him a ways and follow them. T-BALL Went up to the Cape for the weekend. Had a simply splendid luncheon and then set out with the Yachting Society. ROBESPIERRE Beautiful there, isn't it? We have a summer home in the Vineyard. ALEX Hello T-Ball, hello Robespierre. T-BALL Hey homes. You wanna spark a joint with us? ALEX thinks for a moment. ALEX ... Yeah, all right. The three walk off together. EXT - PARK BENCH - DAY The black BUSINESSMAN is sitting on a park bench looking sweaty, disheveled, and very depressed. ANNA walks into view and sits down next to him. He is so out of sorts that he doesn't notice her. There is silence for a while, then Anna speaks. ANNA I didn't go to class today. The BUSINESSMAN doesn't say anything. ANNA I had to stay home and help my sister Charity rewrite my diary. She said it wasn't accurate enough anymore. She's probably right. BUSINESSMAN I don't care. ANNA You lost your job today. BUSINESSMAN How did you know that? ANNA It was in my diary somewhere. I sat on a park bench next to a stranger and he told me he'd lost his job. BUSINESSMAN But I didn't tell you that. ANNA Yes, as I said the diary wasn't very accurate, so we took that part out. And all the parts about a not very accurate boy I used to know in the other diary. The accurate diary has a new, more accurate boy in it. BUSINESSMAN I don't understand what you're talking about. We hear a cathedral bell ring. ANNA kisses the BUSINESSMAN, gets up and leaves. ANNA (as she goes) I'm sorry you lost your job. BUSINESSMAN Yeah, me too. The raggedy OLD MAN now sits where ANNA was. OLD MAN My father owned a horse farm. The BUSINESSMAN looks at the OLD MAN, annoyed. EXT - PARK PATH - DAY We see ANNA walking down the path as cathedral bells ring in her mind. She walks faster until she is running. ANNA [shouting to no one in particular] I'm coming, all right? Just stop ringing those bells! INT - ANNA'S HOUSE - DAY We see Charity standing sternly straight, tall and still, as enormous bells ring behind her. EXT - PARK PATH - DAY Anna is running very fast now. EXT - PARK BENCH - DAY The OLD MAN and the BUSINESSMAN are still sitting side by side. OLD MAN On weekends he used to take us out to go see the horses. BUSINESSMAN [not interested] Mm-hmm. OLD MAN Sometimes he'd let us ride them. Brown ones, white ones, and the black one. He only had one black one. That was his favorite. BUSINESSMAN I'm sure. EXT - LARGE WHITE COLONIAL HOME - DAY Establishing shot of a house which looks as if it belongs to someone very wealthy. It is immaculately painted and kept, has three stories and a lush garden with a gate outside. This is old family money, made before the turn of the 20th century. This house happens to belong to the parents of T-BALL. MRS. BALL VOICEOVER [upper-class accent] We're so glad to meet another of Terrance's young friends. INT - T-BALL'S PARENTS' HOUSE - DAY MRS. BALL, MR. BALL, T-BALL, ROBESPIERRE, and ALEX are all sitting around a beautifully- appointed sitting room with silver and crystal everywhere. ALEX looks very nervous. MR. BALL Now we know Terrance isn't one to shirk his scholastic reponsibilities, but he can be a bit of a scamp sometimes and we do wonder what he's up to. MRS. BALL It's good to see such a nice young boy as yourself in his company. ALEX Um, thank you, Mrs. Ball, Mr. Ball. MRS. BALL Please, call me Betty. MR. BALL And me Peter. MRS. BALL His real name is Walter, but he likes to be called Peter anyway. T-BALL So what's up here, dogs? We gonna score us some stash or what? MR. BALL I don't know. What would you like? ROBESPIERRE You know what we like, bitch. The J, the fatty, the blunt, the chronic. MR. BALL stands. MR. BALL I'll see what we have in the cupboard. [to Alex] Would you like anything, young man? ALEX [very nervous now] Nothing at the moment, thanks. MRS. BALL Could you get a little for me, darling? MR. BALL Of course, dear. MR. BALL leaves the room. MRS. BALL Now are the three of you all in the same class together at school? ALEX Not really, no. ROBESPIERRE School, fuck that shit man. MRS. BALL I know where you're coming from, young man. I grew up in the 1960 decade, and can still clearly remember the days of wanting free love and free speech. It was the man that we stuck it to then. MR. BALL now enters, with a silver platter on which quite a lot of marijuana is seen. ALEX reacts with shock. MR. BALL Here we are, dear. The servants just got a shipment in today. T-BALL [to ALEX] Now this is the prime stuff here, dog. Not the cheap shit you get on the street. MRS. BALL Could you get me a light, darling? MR. BALL takes out a gold lighter and lights MRS. BALL's joint for her. He takes a joint for himself and lights it. T-BALL has also taken his pick. MRS. BALL Oh yes, that's good shit. MR. BALL Isn't it, though? ROBESPIERRE Hey man, get me some of that. T-BALL, MRS. BALL, MR. BALL and ROBESPIERRE sit around smoking as ALEX sits, not smoking and looking more nervous and embarrassed than he's been in his entire life. INT. ANNA'S HOUSE - DAY All is black until the FRONT DOOR in front of us opens creakily, letting in a flood of light and we see ANNA, walking nervously through the doorway. ANNA Charity? A FLASH of white light hits ANNA's eyes, with a CRACK that sounds like a gunshot. ANNA winces, closing her eyes tight, then opens them again to see CHARITY, holding a large shining silver old-fashioned camera, with an oversize flashbulb that would fit in any light socket. She is wearing a transparent green plastic visor and smoking a cigar. CHARITY Smile, goddamnit! ANNA I'm sorry, Charity. ANNA blinks her eyes and smiles. Another blazing FLASH goes off with a gunshot-like sound. ANNA can't help but wince and stagger backward, blinded. CHARITY You're late. ANNA I'm sorry, Charity. What am I late for? CHARITY tosses her cigar on the floor and puts it out with the high heel of her right shoe. She walks through the living room and small candles light up under her feet as she passes. She avoids looking at ANNA. CHARITY You know that scene in Peter Pan where Peter is desperately trying to get the audience to clap and believe in fairies, because otherwise this little fairy fucker Tinkerbell is going to die? ANNA Yes, Charity. CHARITY That's us. We're the fairies. The stupid play got it wrong, got us and the fairies switched. There are forces in this universe, Anna, forces we can neither comprehend or believe in, but these forces are the electrical undercurrent of everything we say and do. And if those forces stop clapping for one minute, stop believing that we are who we say we are, we're all going to disappear and die. We can by now see an elaborate fake backdrop in the center of the room, the only part of the room that is lit, and it is lit with enormous stage lights hot enough to burn human flesh, typical movie set lights. It is a series of two-dimensional cutouts of a Flying Horses carousel. The flat horse cutouts jut out just enough that they can be sat on, and we see AL, wearing a yellow sweatshirt and sitting on one of the cutout "horses." CHARITY [cont.] Get on the horse next to your boyfriend here. ANNA You're taking photographs. What's going on? CHARITY Get on the fucking horse. ANNA reluctantly climbs the cutout "horse" closer to the backdrop than AL's. AL flashes her a cheesy smile, as if they actually have a relationship. ANNA reacts coldly. CHARITY sets her camera. AL [to ANNA] She's very good, you know. The pictures have come out great so far. Another FLASH goes off with gunshot effect, and from the look on ANNA's face you'd think she had been shot, but was weathering it well. CHARITY Big smiles! I want to hear those fairies clap! AL smiles and looks at the camera. ANNA sighs. CHARITY The fairies aren't clapping ... ANNA now smiles her most plastic and fake smile. Another FLASH goes off, and ANNA is momentarily blinded. AL keeps smiling, not reacting, hamming it up. We notice that the backdrop behind them is moving slowly to the right. Another FLASH goes off, shocking ANNA, then another, and another, and another ... STILL PHOTO MONTAGE Still photos of ANNA and AL apparently happy and in love, and the backdrops all look real. If we didn't know better, we wouldn't know the difference. There they are at the CAROUSEL, at the BEACH, feeding pigeons in the PARK, strolling by the LAKE ... INT. ANNA'S HOUSE - EVENING AL and ANNA are standing in front of a two-dimensional BEACH backdrop exactly like in the photo we just saw, only now we can see the fakeness of it, and how exhausted ANNA is. It is several hours later and her hair and face are caked with sweat. She can barely stand up and her eyes aren't focusing. AL is still smiling, but seems worried about ANNA. Another FLASH. CHARITY Smile, god damn you! ANNA I can't see anything ... CHARITY I said smile! ANNA I think I'm going to be sick ... CHARITY We only have six more rolls to go. ANNA Okay, now I know I'm going to be sick ... CHARITY Smile. It's easy. Even I can do it. [presses into her face to form a smile] See? AL Charity, I don't think she's feeling well enough to ... CHARITY SMILE! Another FLASH. ANNA's legs give out under her and she collapses, unconscious, to the ground. AL just catches her before her head hits. AL ANNA! AL slaps her face, trying to get her to wake up. AL [cont.] Anna, are you all right? CHARITY Well, of course she's not all right, loverboy. She's tired. Let her have her rest. It's been a long day. AL Should I carry her to her room? CHARITY No, she can sleep on the floor. She made her bed there, she can lie in it. AL, worriedly, lets go of ANNA and stands. AL I don't know, it just doesn't seem right. CHARITY The photographs, or her sleeping on the floor? AL Any of it. Tell you the truth, I don't think she's even interested in me. CHARITY puts her arm around AL. CHARITY Anna? Oh, she adores you! You silly boy. You silly, silly, handsome boy. We live in a world where love is possible for anyone! But there are certain rules to be followed. You just can't expect her to fall for you on a whim! There are photo shoots to go to, press releases to write, forms to be filled out. CHARITY walks AL away from the backdrop. AL I suppose so, but I don't think ... CHARITY That's right, you don't think, and you shouldn't. That isn't your job around here. Consider me your publicity manager. I'll just keep telling Anna she's desperately, hopelessly in love with you, and eventually she'll start to believe it. Trust me. She'll come around. AL You think she'd want me? I mean, do you think someone like me has the capacity to be loved by anyone? CHARITY Of course! Oh my dear young man, you mustn't say such things! You're not thinking clearly, you're dazed and sweaty from the lights ... so very sweaty. She runs her hand over his sweatshirt. CHARITY [cont.] Tell you what, I'll run you a nice shower and get you out of those wet clothes, and in the morning we'll see if Anna's up for another go. AL All right. In the morning, you say? CHARITY Yes, you don't mind staying, do you? I'll serve breakfast. I fix a simply smashing crepes suzette. CHARITY smiles and bites her lip. Pause. AL Yeah, all right. CHARITY Great! Let me just start the water running. She dashes off upstairs. AL looks back at ANNA briefly, shakes his head and walks upstairs too. As he does we see the unmoving "cutouts" of Aunt Mercy and Uncle Angus in the shadowy foreground, looking much like the cutouts in Charity's photographs. INT - BALL LIVING ROOM - EVENING MRS. BALL, MR. BALL, T-BALL and ROBESPIERRE, now quite stoned, are laughing like idiots. They have ordered four pizzas and already finished off 2 1/2. ALEX is eating a piece of pizza too, holding his nose from the smell but otherwise relaxed. MR. BALL So this guy, this fucker says to me, if you don't get into biomedical stock this year, you won't have the capital necessary to expand into further biomedical stock NEXT year! MRS. BALL, T-BALL and ROBESPIERRE nearly fall off their chairs laughing. ALEX nods politely and takes another bite of his pizza. T-BALL Dude, dude, what skanky shit did he get into? [laughs] ROBESPIERRE Yeah man, the money's all in Internet startups on the NASDAQ. MR. BALL and T-BALL snort derisively. ALEX stands up to stretch and yawns. ROBESPIERRE [cont.] What? What? T-BALL You stupid bitch-ho, virtual companies give you virtual money. Not one of those companies is making real profit. ROBESPIERRE Yeah, but ... T-BALL Invest in one of those and you'll make a lot of money for about a month, and then you'll be broke as the day you were born. MRS. BALL Dude. Yeah. T-BALL snorts in laughter. ALEX I, um, need to use the facilities. No one pays him much attention. MRS. BALL Could I have another hit, love? MR. BALL Sure. ALEX walks down the long, beautiful hallways of the house. There are doors everywhere, and the effect of so much wealth is almost surreal. He sees framed photos on the walls of the BALL family with actors, public figures, Republican congressmen, and several presidents. He passes an oversized porcelain and gold phone next to which is a cloth-covered "unexpurgated edition" phonebook. The telephone suddenly speaks, softly. TELEPHONE Call her. ALEX She said her phone was disconnected. TELEPHONE Call her. ALEX opens the phone book and flips through the listings. ALEX [to self] Paignoir, Paignoir ... ALEX scans through the Ps and finds nothing. He sighs. TELEPHONE Sorry. ALEX closes the book and walks down the hallway. ALEX Saturday, saturday. I'll see her on saturday. He tries several doors and sees the billiards room, the bonsai room, the cats room, and finally the restroom. The amount of photos gets more dense as the hallway goes on, covering every bit of space. ALEX walks into the restroom and the photos actually wrap around the [rounded] doorway and continue inside. INT - BALL RESTROOM - EVENING The restroom is enormous, all white and black polished marble with gold fixtures. The main item visible is a large sink -- all naughtier fixtures have their own lockable enclosures. Above it is a huge gold-rimmed oval mirror with the word "POWER" inscribed at the top and "INFLUENCE WHILE RESISTING THE INFLUENCE OF OTHERS" inscribed at the bottom. ALEX washes his face in the sink, trying to get his head together. He looks at himself in the mirror, and washes his face again. The MIRROR IMAGE of Alex doesn't do this and stays upright. ALEX, suspicious, looks back up at the mirror image and it imitates him again. ALEX rolls his eyes at the mirror image's stupidity, washes his face again and looks around the room. Now he notices several framed photos resting upright on the counter of the sink itself. One of them is a picture of the BALLS with the PAIGNOR family, including ANGUS, MERCY, CHARITY and ANNA. ALEX is shocked to see ANNA and fixates on the picture. ALEX Anna. INT - PAIGNOIR HOUSEHOLD - EVENING ANNA is still unconscious on the ground. Her eyes open as if she's heard ALEX. INT - BALL RESTROOM - EVENING ALEX reaches his hand and touches the photo of ANNA. His MIRROR IMAGE picks up the photo, looks at it and kisses it. ALEX looks at the MIRROR IMAGE like he can't believe how stupid it is. The MIRROR IMAGE shrugs and smiles. In the mirror, the room all behind him is changing from a restroom to a green jungle or rainforest, teeming with life. We see mythical beasts, pipers, horses, and exotic birds. ALEX picks up the picture of ANNA and stares at it. The MIRROR IMAGE turns and walks away. ALEX closes his eyes and runs his hand over the back of his head. He frowns sadly, but almost laughs. ALEX Ahhh, dammit. I'm obsessed. ALEX opens his eyes. The mirror is back to normal. INT - PAIGNOIR HOUSEHOLD - EVENING ANNA, now fully conscious, sits up and looks around her. She stands and walks. INT - BALL RESTROOM - EVENING ALEX, still holding the picture, walks out of the room. As he walks, green grass, leaves and vines are sprouting underneath his feet with every step. ALEX doesn't notice this. INT - BALL LIVING ROOM - EVENING The BALLS are still laughing about something. ROBESPIERRE is too, but more sleepily. MRS. BALL But she said she wanted metallic silver fabric for the curtains, because she wanted them to match her silverware! MR. BALL and T-BALL laugh. ALEX enters, holding up the picture of the BALLS with the PAIGNOIRS. ROBESPIERRE So what did you do? MRS. BALL Well, we fired her, of course. ROBESPIERRE But she'd been working there for ten years. T-BALL Robespierre, Robespierre, listen to me. Lemme tell you why you're never gonna succeed on Wall Street. You think about other people's feelings too much. You can't win in business if you run away at the first sign of blood. Silence. Alex holds up the picture again. ALEX Who is this? In this photograph? MRS. BALL [craning her neck to look] Hmm? ALEX hands the photograph to MRS. BALL. MRS. BALL Why that's us, dear. Walter and Terrance and myself ... ALEX Who's the other family? MRS. BALL Oh! A very old, wealthy family, close close friends of ours but I can't remember the name ... pain something. ALEX Paignoir. MR. BALL You remember Charity Paignoir, love, from that fundraiser thing at the museum. MRS. BALL That's right. ALEX What do you know about them? MR. BALL Like what? ALEX Who are they? Where do they come from? MR. BALL Oh, I don't know. They must be quite rich and well-established, though, their house is absolutely beautiful. It's falling apart, but it's beautiful. I don't like to gossip. MRS. BALL They've got a daughter about your age who isn't married yet for some reason. I thought she'd make a good companion for Terrance but of course Terrance makes his own decisions ... T-BALL Fuck that shit, du'. That family's scary. MR. BALL Yes, she has got a bit of a reputation as a hellraiser. Leaving the house at all hours of the day, looking bored at social functions. ALEX [to T-BALL] Where does she live? T-BALL smiles, shrugs and tokes. ALEX [more insistently] Where do THEY live? MR. BALL It's in the listings, isn't it? ALEX No, it isn't. MR. BALL Not the normal listings. My private rolodex. It's in there, I know. ALEX Where's your private rolodex? MR. BALL If I told you it wouldn't be private. T-BALL snickers. ALEX I have to know this. MR. BALL Why? ALEX Um ... [lies badly] We're in the Future Republican Leaders of America together at school. And there's a project due I need to find out about. MR. BALL looks at ALEX blankly. ALEX [cont.] A Republican project. About Republicans. MR. BALL sighs, takes a deep hit from his joint, and walks off. MR. BALL All right, let's go. ALEX follows him. INT - BALL ROLODEX ROOM - EVENING The room is almost all black, and the lights never seem to be entirely on. There is a system of mist in the room through which we can see a security system of interlocking red lasers, and red light shines from a handprint and voiceprint identification system perched atop a wide black and red pillar. There is a lot of security in this room. MR. BALL places his hand on the handprint panel. MR. BALL Walter Ball. We hear five pleasing "pings" and the security system opens up and folds out into an enormous black rolodex. It is set up with lots of little cards, like a normal rolodex but much larger, and all the cards are computerized red LCD readouts. ALEX looks bewildered. MR. BALL [cont.] Security, you see. These numbers aren't available to just anybody. With the information in this rolodex a homeless man on the street could become one of the most powerful men in America. These are the people I know. ALEX doesn't know what to say. MR. BALL hits a button and a flat LCD keyboard pulls out from the pillar. MR. BALL types "PAIGNOIR" on it. The system whirrs and spins, we hear five pleasing "pings" and the name PAIGNOIR comes up. PAIGNOIR CHARITY, ANGUS, MERCY, ANNA ETC. NET WORTH: UNESTABLISHED [ESTIMATED SCORE OF FIVE] HOW TO GET IN: SAY YOU MET CHARITY AT A FUNDRAISING FUNCTION CONNECTIONS: IN-FAMILY, 8002907234, 230947309243, 1972890484, 19382323 FEDERAL RECORD: 29038, 30948304389430, 394783, 320924, 10-120 LOCATION: 922 ESCAPE STREET WEST, VOID CT06000 PHONE: [913] 411-4282 MR. BALL Here we are ... ALEX [shocked] There's a phone number there. A phone number. MR. BALL Yes. If you have a phone, you can pick it up and dial it. MR. BALL hits a button and a receipt of this address prints out from the pillar, in duplicate. MR. BALL rips it off, hands the white copy to ALEX, and keeps the yellow for himself. MR. BALL [cont.] If you're ever in a position of power, young man, think twice before using it for purposes of evil. ALEX Yes, Mr. Ball. MR. BALL is still holding his joint and takes another toke. MR. BALL Please, call me Ballsy. MR. BALL crumples up his yellow copy of the printout and tosses it into an overflowing black wire-mesh wastebasket in the corner. INT - CHARITY PAIGNOIR'S ROOM - EVENING CHARITY and AL are having sex. INT - PAIGNOIR HALLWAY - EVENING ANNA walks up the stairs, passing the door of CHARITY's room, yawning, not really caring about the sounds of CHARITY and AL's lovemaking that we hear. ANNA walks into her own room and closes the door. INT - ANNA'S ROOM - EVENING ANNA flops down on her bed, sleepily, then coughs from the dust that rises up from it. She looks over to the dresser next to the bed, on which "her" diary sits, along with a bottle of ink, a pen and a white-out container. She picks up the diary, unlocks it with her golden key, and flips through it. Every page is covered with white-out and written-over. ANNA Oh, the diary of a young girl named Anna, falling in love, love, love, beautiful bullshit and lies. All lies. Oh, but it's all revised and so much more accurate now. Thank you, Charity, for being so goddamned accurate. She throws the diary away, then finds herself staring at the toychest on which "her" ancient-looking stuffed animals rest. She sits up, clears cobwebs from the top layer of teddy bears, and pulls out a unicorn. She holds the stuffed unicorn in her hands and talks to it, like a child. ANNA [cont.] Hello, mister unicorn. You're a happy little unicorn. Do you ever think about what it means to be really alive? Do you ever contemplate what happiness means, where sadness comes from? Of course not. You're a fantasy animal. You exist only for the enjoyment of happy little girls. You don't live in the real world. You don't deal with real problems. ANNA grips the unicorn's plush "horn" in her hand and digs in with her nails, trying to tear it out. ANNA [cont.] This horn makes you special. It's a beautiful lie, a defense mechanism, and as long as you have it you'll never have to face reality. ANNA breaks the stitching and tears off the unicorn's horn. ANNA [cont.] There. You're a horse. I hate fucking unicorns. Stuffing is coming out of the toy's head now. ANNA [cont.] What? You're hurt? You're bleeding? Good. She looks at the stuffed "horse," carefully, and then at the ink on the dresser, the label of which says "Midnight Blue." ANNA [cont., quieter] But not good enough. She grabs the ink, unscrews its cap and pours it all over the stuffed "horse." ANNA's hands and arms run black as she presses and spreads the ink over every inch of the stuffed toy. The "horse" turns a striking shade of near-black, a midnight blue. ANNA, finished, smiles at her work. ANNA [cont.] There. Now you're not perfect anymore. She places the dripping toy horse on her dresser, and it splatters midnight blue ink all over the countertop. ANNA looks at her hands, pleased. She grabs the diary and begins to put midnight blue fingerprints all over every page of it. EXT - PAIGNOIR HOME - EVENING Thunder begins to strike in the distance and we see little dark patches in all the clouds in the sky. They look almost like fingerprints. EXT - BALL HOME - EVENING ALEX is running out the door, clutching the printout MR. BALL gave him. ALEX Bye! MRS. BALL Goodbye! Come back any time! T-BALL Yeah, bitch, we'll fuck ya later! ROBESPIERRE Your mom, man. T-BALL Dude, shut up. MRS. BALL Yeah, dude. ALEX is running down the driveway as fast as he can now, stumbling over a bunch of bags of trash by the side of the family's private dumpster. A couple of yellow receipts fall out of the bags as he does so. ALEX jumps the trash, hits the big blue "handicapped" button to open the automatic gate and runs out onto the sidewalk, never stopping. EXT - STREET - EVENING ALEX is running at top speed. He closes his eyes and grits his teeth as he runs, thinking. ALEX A phone call. I'll give her a phone call. A phone call can't hurt. ALEX opens his eyes and runs straight into the black BUSINESSMAN. Both fall over. The businessman drops his briefcase, which pops open, his papers scattering all over. ALEX drops his own very important scrap of paper. The BUSINESSMAN tries to grab his papers and put them back into order. BUSINESSMAN You idiot! Why don't you watch where you're going? ALEX I'm sorry. I'll help. ALEX grabs some of the BUSINESSMAN's papers. BUSINESSMAN No, I don't want any help. I've had enough help today. We now see the OLD MAN watching all this. OLD MAN My father owned a horse farm. BUSINESSMAN Shut up! OLD MAN On weekends he used to take us out to go see the horses. But only on weekends. Saturday was always nice. BUSINESSMAN For chrissake. ALEX Let me get that. ALEX helps get the papers back in order. The BUSINESSMAN seems overly protective of them. He grabs them back from ALEX. BUSINESSMAN One executive, that's all it takes, you know. If one executive doesn't like you, you're gone, because he's got the big phone, and he can make the big phone call, and you're out on the street and your career's gone and that's it. ALEX I'm sorry. The BUSINESSMAN stuffs all the papers back into his briefcase. Then he notices the little printout on top. He grabs it and looks at it. BUSINESSMAN This isn't mine. Whose is this? ALEX It's mine. BUSINESSMAN No, it isn't. ALEX Um, yes it is actually. BUSINESSMAN I've seen these before, this sort of little phone number receipt. The executives at my company used these. ALEX Well, that one's mine. BUSINESSMAN Is it? He looks at the printout, then at ALEX. Then he grabs a paper from his briefcase, shuts it and stands. ALEX follows suit. The BUSINESSMAN holds out the paper for ALEX, along with Alex's own printout. BUSINESSMAN [cont.] This is my resume. I've had 10 years experience in big business and if your company is ever hiring, please take me under consideration. ALEX Well, I don't have much of a company really ... The BUSINESSMAN pushes his resume and the printout into ALEX's hands. ALEX has no choice but to take them. BUSINESSMAN I know, I know, but if you ever need someone ... just think about it. Thanks. The BUSINESSMAN nods at ALEX and walks away. ALEX looks bewildered, and then looks at the OLD MAN, who is standing right next to him. OLD MAN The best times were when he'd let us ride them. The horses. He had brown ones and white ones but he only had one black one and that was his favorite and he called it Midnight Blue. ALEX A black horse. He called it blue. OLD MAN Midnight Blue because its coat had a shine to it like moonlight and sometimes you almost thought you knew what the horse was thinking and you wanted to help it, because it seemed sad. ALEX Look, do you want change or something? A dollar? OLD MAN It was a sick horse and it looked like it was old, even though it wasn't really, but it was his favorite because it never acted like a farm horse, like a tame horse. It didn't act like the others. It would run like it was crazy, like it had the devil in it, but it never threw my father off when he was riding it, not once. And sometimes he'd open the gate and just let Midnight Blue wander off somewhere for hours, and he never knew where that horse went but he always knew it was gonna come back, and it always did. And my momma said dad was a fool, and maybe he was, because he always said he never really understood momma or my brothers or me, but he understood that horse. We had good times on that farm, even momma. Especially momma. ALEX Why are you telling me this? OLD MAN No reason. I'm just a random crazy person and I don't really expect anyone to listen. ALEX Well, I was listening. OLD MAN ... I don't have anything else to say. Just that, that's my story. ALEX Okay. ALEX walks off, picking up speed as he goes. The OLD MAN stays behind, scratching his head. OLD MAN Kids today ... I just don't get it. A RANDOM PASSERBY walks by. OLD MAN [to passerby] My father owned a horse farm. EXT - SIDE STREET - EVENING We follow with ALEX as he runs for his apartment. ALEX One phone call. It only takes one phone call. ALEX thinks, shakes his head and keeps running. INT - CHARITY'S BEDROOM - EVENING CHARITY and AL are lying next to each other in the silk-sheeted, old-fashioned bed. CHARITY is holding a cigarette. AL Were you and Anna close, when you were kids? CHARITY Close? AL You know, like in a real family. Close. CHARITY Oh yes, we were very ... close. We were inseparable, two sides of the same coin. She's a very special girl, you know. AL Is she? CHARITY Yes. She could see, and hear things. Thoughts. If I was in trouble, she would come running. She would just ... know, somehow. And if she was in trouble, I would feel it, like we were connected. FLASBACK - INT - PAIGNOIR HOUSEHOLD, 13 YEARS AGO - DAY A FLASH of memory. CHARITY and ANNA appear at ages 8 and 6, respectively. ANNA is crying, and CHARITY holding and soothing her. INT - CHARITY'S BEDROOM - EVENING Back to reality. CHARITY [cont.] It wasn't like that with anyone else. She said that meant I was very important to her. She takes a drag off her cigarette. CHARITY [cont.] I don't know if that's still true. AL Do you think she's all right? CHARITY Oh, she's fine. I'm hard on her sometimes, but she knows I just want what's best for her. For all of us. For the family. AL And if she was hurting, you'd feel it, right? INT - ANNA'S BEDROOM - EVENING ANNA, is sitting on her bed, crying into her blue-black-stained hands, alone. INT - CHARITY'S BEDROOM - EVENING CHARITY I don't feel anything, anymore. AL looks at her. She takes another smoke. INT - ALEX's DORM ROOM - EVENING ALEX walks quickly into his room. His roommate is still missing. ALEX [to himself] Phone, phone, where's the ... ALEX notices the empty phone jack on the wall and remembers. ALEX [cont.] Walden. INT - WALDEN'S DORM ROOM - EVENING The walls are decorated with posters for "Touch of Evil," "The Big Sleep," and other noir films. The room is dark except for the desk lamp and computer, and strange rays of light which come through the venetian blinds on the window, as in a noir film. WALDEN is sitting at the desk typing, and is wearing a fedora. A black falcon statue is on the desk. WALDEN VOICEOVER Detective Harry Slater knew the woman was trouble the minute she walked into his office, but yet he couldn't take his eyes off her. He sat calmly in the dark and took another shot of whiskey. "I've lost something very dear to me," she said in a smooth breathy voice, as she lit her cigarette. "I don't need any help from the likes of you, see, but if you help me there's a fiver in it for ya." We hear ALEX knocking on the locked door. ALEX [offscreen] Walden! WALDEN ignores ALEX. WALDEN VOICEOVER Somewhere, a dog barked. ALEX [offscreen] Walden, I know you're in there because you have no life so open up because I need my phone back right now. WALDEN looks at ALEX's PHONE, which is lying on his bed, and sighs. He gets up from his chair, grabs it, and opens the door. We see ALEX in the doorway. WALDEN pushes the phone into his hands. ALEX Thanks. (noticing WALDEN's hat) What's with the fedora? WALDEN You shouldn't interrupt me. I'm writing. ALEX Your ten-cent detective novel, right? WALDEN Yeah. I'm on chapter nine. ALEX Any good? WALDEN It's fucking brilliant. ALEX That's good. WALDEN turns to leave, then thinks of something and pulls a small square orange flier out of his pocket, handing it to ALEX. WALDEN Here. Take this. ALEX reads it. ALEX "Combustible Samurai?" WALDEN I'm performing with this band at the Cafe Apocalypse, 11PM tonight. ALEX Are you any good? WALDEN Fucking brilliant, Alex. ALEX Oh, right, of course. There is a pause. Neither one says anything. WALDEN ... Well, bye. WALDEN closes the door and returns to typing. In the hallway, ALEX tucks his phone under his arm, smiles, and runs back to his room. INT - ALEX's DORM ROOM - EVENING ALEX enters with his phone, looking for the jack to plug it in, and notices a PERSON WE DON'T RECOGNIZE, foreign-looking and well-dressed, sitting at the computer on the opposite end of the room. The PERSON turns and looks coolly at ALEX. ALEX Who are you? PERSON I'm your roommate. ALEX You are? PERSON Yeah. ALEX Do we get along? PERSON No, I hate you. ALEX Oh. All right. Carry on then. The PERSON shakes his head and returns to his work. ALEX plugs his phone in and sits on his bed with it. He tosses the orange flier on the other end of the bed, and pulls the precious printout from his pocket, looking at it. "PAIGNOIR - CHARITY, ANGUS, MERCY, ANNA ETC." The word "ANNA" floats off the page, hanging in the air. ALEX has a flash vision of a lush green rainforest brimming with life. RAINFOREST - DAY Exotic animals run by. ANNA appears in the middle of it, smiling, extending her (not blue) arms. INT - ALEX's DORM ROOM - EVENING ALEX smiles, then snaps back to reality. He picks up the phone reciever and looks at the printout again. "PHONE: [913] 411-4282" He dials. [Note: We don't hear any tones as he dials. We don't hear a dial tone or ringing either, this is all silent.] He puts the phone to his ear and waits. He bites his lip. A bead of sweat forms on his brow. Now we hear the clattering sound of a sleepy person clumsily picking a phone up -- this is unnaturally loud. The voice we hear is as clear as if she were in the room with him. ANNA VOICEOVER [half-asleep] H ... ello? (yawns) ALEX Anna, is that you? ANNA VOICEOVER Who? ALEX Oh, sorry, I'm looking for Anna Paignoir. INT - ANNA'S BEDROOM - EVENING [continuous] ANNA is lying on her bed, phone to her ear. Her hands are still blue and there are tearstains under her eyes. ANNA This is Anna. INT - ALEX's DORM ROOM - EVENING [continuous] ALEX Oh, hi Anna, I thought that was you! ANNA VOICEOVER Who is this? ALEX Alex. Alex Pressman. We went to the beach a couple of days ago. INT - ANNA'S BEDROOM - EVENING [continuous] ANNA Oh, Alex, hi. How've you been? INT - ALEX's DORM ROOM - EVENING [continuous] ALEX Oh, fine, I guess. How've you been? INT - ANNA'S BEDROOM - EVENING [continuous] ANNA Fine. INT - ALEX's DORM ROOM - EVENING [continuous] ALEX Did I, uh, wake you? INT - ANNA'S BEDROOM - EVENING [continuous] She rubs her forehead, as if she has a headache. ANNA No, no, it's just ... was I supposed to get a call from you? INT - ALEX's DORM ROOM - EVENING [continuous] ALEX Well, no, I just thought I'd call. Pause. ALEX [cont.] Look, if I'm bothering you, I could ... ANNA's VOICE You're not bothering me. ALEX Are we still on for saturday? ANNA'S VOICE Saturday? ALEX We were supposed to see each other on saturday. At noon. By the library. INT - ANNA'S BEDROOM - EVENING [continuous] ANNA Oh. ANNA's eyes open wide. She is totally alert and awake now. ALEX'S VOICE Is something wrong? ANNA There's been a mistake. I can't see you anymore. INT - ALEX's DORM ROOM - EVENING [continuous] ALEX What do you mean? ANNA'S VOICE I'm seeing someone else. ALEX Seeing them how? On TV? On the street? INT - ANNA'S BEDROOM - EVENING [continuous] ANNA Romantically. I'm seeing someone. INT - ALEX's DORM ROOM - EVENING [continuous] ALEX, heartbroken, isn't sure what to say for a moment, and then smiles. ALEX Well, that's great! INT - ANNA'S BEDROOM - EVENING [continuous] ANNA It is? INT - ALEX's DORM ROOM - EVENING [continuous] ALEX Oh, yes, of course! I want you to be happy. I'm happy that you're happy. INT - ANNA'S BEDROOM - EVENING [continuous] ANNA You're ... happy that I'm happy. INT - ALEX's DORM ROOM - EVENING [continuous] ALEX Yes. INT - ANNA'S BEDROOM - EVENING [continuous] ANNA So we're all happy then. INT - ALEX's DORM ROOM - EVENING [continuous] ALEX Yes. Pause. ALEX [cont.] Are you happy, Anna? INT - ANNA'S BEDROOM - EVENING [continuous] ANNA Of course I'm happy. I'm giddy, I'm ecstatic, I'm in love, why wouldn't I be? ALEX'S VOICE I was just checking. ANNA Yes. ALEX'S VOICE Because I worry about you. Pause. We can see new tears forming in her blue-stained eyes. ANNA Yes. INT - ALEX's DORM ROOM - EVENING [continuous] ALEX Can we still be friends, you and I? INT - ANNA'S BEDROOM - EVENING [continuous] ANNA No. INT - ALEX's DORM ROOM - EVENING [continuous] ALEX doesn't say anything for a moment. ALEX What's his name? The name of the guy you're in love with? INT - ANNA'S BEDROOM - EVENING [continuous] ANNA Alex Pressman. INT - ALEX's DORM ROOM - EVENING [continuous] ALEX That's my name. INT - ANNA'S BEDROOM - EVENING [continuous] ANNA It's another Alex Pressman. INT - ALEX's DORM ROOM - EVENING [continuous] ALEX Is it? INT - ANNA'S BEDROOM - EVENING [continuous] ANNA It's a common name. We call him Al. ALEX'S VOICE "We?" ANNA Charity, my sister, and I. She calls him Al. Among other things. INT - ALEX's DORM ROOM - EVENING [continuous] ALEX Well, as long as he makes you happy. ANNA'S VOICE He does. ALEX But if ... ANNA'S VOICE [interrupting] Look, I don't think we should be talking about this. Pause. ALEX So we're not on for Saturday. ANNA'S VOICE No. ALEX And I can't see you again. ANNA'S VOICE No. ALEX Never? INT - ANNA'S BEDROOM - EVENING [continuous] She wipes a tear from her eye and stains her cheek blue. ANNA It's just easier this way, Alex. For everyone. INT - ALEX's DORM ROOM - EVENING [continuous] ALEX All right. INT - ANNA'S BEDROOM - EVENING [continuous] ALEX'S VOICE Should I hang up now? ANNA Yes. INT - ALEX's DORM ROOM - EVENING [continuous] ALEX All right. He takes a deep sigh and puts the phone down. Absentmindedly he picks up the spiral phone cord and twirls it in his fingers. Then he realizes he's holding the cord's unconnected end. Meaning the cord is only attached to the earpiece, not to the rest of the phone. He looks at it with shock in his eyes. INT - ANNA'S BEDROOM - EVENING [continuous] She lies down on her bed, still holding the phone and sniffling. There is a pause. ALEX'S VOICE Anna? ANNA Look, Alex, I told you to hang up the phone. ALEX'S VOICE I did. ANNA's eyes open. ALEX'S VOICE [cont.] I hung up the phone and I'm still talking to you. INT - ALEX's DORM ROOM - EVENING [continuous] ALEX is holding the unconnected end of the spiral phone cord. ALEX My phone wasn't connected, Anna, when I was talking to you. What do you think that means? INT - ANNA'S BEDROOM - EVENING [continuous] ANNA sits up, wide-eyed, still talking into the phone. ANNA Well, maybe there's something wrong with the phone line ... ALEX'S VOICE NO, Anna. There is NOTHING wrong with the phone line. ANNA Well, maybe your phone was ... ALEX'S VOICE Anna, come on. ANNA sighs. INT - ALEX's DORM ROOM - EVENING [continuous] He is still talking into the phone too. ALEX Your phone wasn't connected either, was it? ALEX'S ROOMMATE looks at ALEX for a moment like he's insane, and returns to his work. INT - ANNA'S BEDROOM - EVENING [continuous] ANNA No. No it wasn't. INT - ALEX's DORM ROOM - EVENING [continuous] ALEX Are you doing this? Is this some kind of trick you play with men you're not interested in? INT - ANNA'S BEDROOM - EVENING [continuous] ANNA Alex, I'm not doing anything. And neither are you. It isn't you, or me. It's ... it's us. INT - ALEX's DORM ROOM - EVENING [continuous] ALEX Us. ANNA'S VOICE I used to have this ... connection when I was a kid, with people, just my sister mostly. INT - ANNA'S BEDROOM - EVENING [continuous] ANNA If her life was in danger, if she needed protection, I would just ... know somehow. She sighs. INT - ALEX's DORM ROOM - EVENING [continuous] ALEX Are we connected, you and I? Is my life in danger? ANNA's VOICE I don't know. Probably not. Maybe it doesn't mean anything. Pause. ALEX Are you still talking into the phone? INT - ANNA'S BEDROOM - EVENING [continuous] ANNA looks at herself and laughs. ANNA Yeah. ALEX'S VOICE So am I. ANNA smiles. INT - ALEX's DORM ROOM - EVENING [continuous] He puts the phone down, smiling. INT - ANNA'S BEDROOM - EVENING [continuous] She puts her phone down too, and lies down on the bed. INT - ALEX's DORM ROOM - EVENING [continuous] He lies down on his own bed, and notices the little orange flier for Walden's band next to him. He picks it up and looks at it. INT - ANNA'S BEDROOM - EVENING [continuous] ANNA closes her eyes, the very picture of peaceful rest. ALEX'S VOICE Anna? ANNA Yes, Alex? ALEX'S VOICE Do you want to meet me for a concert at the Cafe Apocalypse tonight at eleven? ANNA Okay. INT - ALEX's DORM ROOM - EVENING [continuous] He smiles, any troubles he has melting away in a little soundless laugh. INT - ANNA'S BEDROOM - EVENING [continuous] She smiles, simply, and closes her eyes. INT - ALEX's DORM ROOM - EVENING [continuous] Music. A band warming up, far away. Alex sits up, and hops off the bed to his feet, walking with a sense of purpose. His roommate watches him as he goes, wide-eyed. ROOMMATE It's a girl, isn't it? Alex looks at the roommate. ALEX It's Anna. Alex grabs his coat and opens the door to leave. ROOMMATE Where are you going? Alex smiles. ALEX Out. Alex shuts the door behind him as he leaves. The music in the distance picks up, and we hear the intro to Neil Innes' "Rock of Ages," which overlaps to the next scene. INT - ANNA'S HOUSE - EVENING Anna is running down the stairway, putting her coat on as she goes. She looks behind her to make sure Charity's not watching. She has reached the front door and is about to leave when she sees AL right next to her. He shakes his head at her, half-smiling. AL Naughty, naughty. INT - CAFE APOCALYPSE - EVENING The music is more prominent now. It is being played by a band onstage, Combustible Samurai. Alex enters. Walden, standing to the right of the stage drinking coffee, spots him and waves. The band looks at Walden boredly. Walden swallows his coffee, walks toward Alex and pats him on the back. WALDEN Glad you could make it. Alex nods. Walden runs off and disappears behind a curtain to the right of the stage. Alex looks around. The atmosphere is quiet, almost academic. At each table men and women, mostly college students, are sitting, drinking coffee and looking at each other intently. Those at the bar are drinking something harder, and looking downward at nothing. Now we hear someone singing. It is WALDEN, emerging from backstage. He can really sing. WALDEN (singing) Rock of ages Roll me over At this point in time Alex sits down in the front row. All the troubles In the world are Running through my mind Alex looks around hesitantly, but he knows Anna's not there yet. Ball of fire Wind and water Bring me back to earth A WAITER offers Alex some coffee, but Alex shrugs him off. Birds and bees and Dog-eat-dog and "Get your money's worth" Alex stares off into space. I'm still waiting EXT - CAFE APOCALYPSE - EVENING (continuous) We see Anna, walking. We don't see who she's with. I'm still hoping INT - CAFE APOCALYPSE - EVENING (continuous) Alex stands up suddenly. I'm still praying EXT - CAFE APOCALYPSE - EVENING (continuous) We see Anna, walking toward the door. For your love INT - CAFE APOCALYPSE - EVENING (continuous) Alex walks away from the stage toward the front door. Come on Come on Come on come on Alex stands a few feet away from the door and stares. Come on Come on Come on come on ANNA enters the cafe, with AL by her side. He smiles at ALEX. ALEX looks shocked. ANNA looks at ALEX apologetically, like she wants to say something, but can't. Little spaceship Ever spinning At this point in time AL walks toward a waitress to grab some coffee. ANNA touches ALEX's shoulder and he turns. ANNA He said he'd tell Charity if I ... ALEX It's okay. WALDEN (singing, cont.) With your cargo Everlasting Anna and Alex are very close now. At this point in time AL takes a sip of coffee, not really looking at Anna or Alex. I'm still waiting ANNA realizes she's holding both of ALEX's arms. She looks up at him. I'm still hoping ALEX feels a very nervous smile creep across his face. He stares at Anna. I'm still praying They stare at each other. For your love AL appears, finishing up his coffee, and hands the empty cup to ALEX. He separates Alex and Anna, with perfect calm and good nature, and walks off with Anna. Come on Come on Come on come on ALEX is left holding Al's discarded coffee cup. He looks down at it, then at AL and ANNA, who are dancing. He frowns, and crushes the cup in his hand. Come on Come on Come on come on ALEX throws the cup away and sits back down in his seat, staring at ANNA, still dancing with AL. Come on Come on Come on come on ANNA dances with AL, but is staring at ALEX. He stares back. Come on Come on Come on come on ALEX stands up and walks toward ANNA. She stares at him, barely dancing now. AL notices that he's not being paid any attention to. Truly darling I can feel it At this point in time ALEX stops in front of ANNA, and they stand, staring at each other, with no one else in the world. AL has a pissed-off look on his face. Only your love Can reveal it At this point in time ANNA extends her graceful arms, and ALEX takes them in his own. They begin, slowly, to dance. Rock of ages Roll me over At this point in time ALEX and ANNA dance softly, pressed close to one another as blue light from the stage twinkles all around them. They stare deep into each others' eyes, the eyes of one looking into the soul of another. All the troubles In the world are Runnin' through my mind Their eyes close, gradually and at the same time. They kiss, violently. Little spaceship Ever spinning At this point in time With your cargo Everlasting At this point in time AL, disgusted but calm, walks out the door. ALEX and ANNA's eyes open. They look, wetly, at one other. Rock of ages Roll me over At this point in time... DISSOLVE TO: INT - CAFE APOCALYPSE - LATE NIGHT Last call. The place is five minutes from closing. WALDEN and PROFESSOR PARIS, both very drunk, are the only two people at the bar. PARIS takes a shot of bourbon. They look straight ahead or down, not at each other. WALDEN Turnout's not the same since this place moved to behind Fifths Hall. PARIS (drowsily) Yeah, yeah. WALDEN takes a shot of something unrecognizable. PARIS (cont.) These damned students, they act like it's a federal crime for me to assign homework. Where's the work ethic? PARIS coughs and takes another shot. The place is nearly empty, except for a couple of waiters and waitresses, who are cleaning up the place. WALDEN Yeah, I mean, I had a bigger audience at my high school auditorium, AND I was allowed to sell my albums, which I can't do here. I'm not getting my name out, I'm certainly not making money, so what's the point? PARIS I hear you, I hear you. WALDEN takes another shot. We see ALEX and ANNA sitting in the back corner of the cafe, arms around one another so they almost look like one person. They are peaceful, nearly asleep. PARIS (cont.) It wouldn't bother me so much if it wasn't for the attitude. If you want to play the part of the academic who knows everything already, then come to class prepared to work. Hell, come to class at all. I don't expect them to learn, I hardly expect them to stay awake but they could at least have the decency to show up. WALDEN Exactly, yeah. PARIS Kindergarteners wake up at seven A.M., and they're telling me they can't get up for class at four in the afternoon? A coarse female BARTENDER emerges from a room in the back, wiping a glass clean. BARTENDER All right you two, this place is closed. You don't have to go home but get the hell outta here anyway. PARIS It's closing time already? BARTENDER That it is. The BARTENDER slaps the empty glass and dishrag down on the bar. PARIS Well, time always flies when I'm with you, Rochelle. He smiles drunkenly and kisses the ring on her right hand. BARTENDER I assume from the sweet talk I'm going to be putting ALL of this on your tab. PARIS Correct as ever, my love. BARTENDER I'll make an honest man of you someday, John Paris. PARIS Hey, I'm not honest to my wife, why should I be honest to you? She smiles. BARTENDER Get outta here, you old wino. PARIS smiles. WALDEN tosses some cash on the bar, emptying his wallet. PARIS and WALDEN stand up, uneasily, and shake hands. WALDEN Well, it was nice talking to you. PARIS Same to you, young man! You wouldn't happen to have twenty dollars for cab fare, would you? We see ALEX and ANNA, still sitting with arms intertwined, as before. They have fallen asleep. The WAITER seen earlier comes by and nudges them. WAITER Come on, wake up, you two. We're closed. ALEX and ANNA wake up, groggily. ALEX Hunh? WAITER We're closed. You two should drink more coffee. It's addictive, you know. The WAITER walks away. ANNA and ALEX stretch and yawn, relaxing their grip on one another. ANNA (to ALEX) What time is it? Is it after midnight? ALEX checks his watch. ALEX It's almost 2 A.M. ANNA rubs her forehead. ANNA Aw, suck. I have to go. ALEX That guy, right? The other Alex. ANNA Yeah. She points at the door. ANNA (cont.) He's been waiting outside. ALEX This whole time? ANNA Yeah. ALEX Geez. ANNA Yeah, he's pretty cool. ALEX He must be. She stretches and stands up. ALEX stays partially attached to her as she does this, obviously afraid to let go. He stands too. ANNA I'll see you. Soon. ALEX That a promise? She smiles. ANNA Yeah. They kiss goodbye, messily. She pushes something into his hand, and as she walks away she waves to him. He waves back, and then looks at what she gave him. A photo, of herself. He looks up, and continues waving. EXT - CAFE APOCALYPSE - LATE NIGHT ANNA exits the cafe. AL is sitting on the pavement outside, a dull look on his face, smoking a cigarette. The butts of cigarettes he's already smoked are scattered all around his feet. ANNA stops and looks at him. ANNA I didn't know you smoked. AL I don't. He puts his cigarette out and stands up. AL Let's go. AL walks away. ANNA follows him, nervously. INT - CAFE APOCALYPSE - LATE NIGHT ALEX is still waving, at nothing. Gradually he stops waving and puts his arm down. His smile fades somewhat. WALDEN comes into view to the right of him. WALDEN That was the mental patient, right? ALEX snaps out of it and looks at Walden. ALEX The what? ... No, that was ... (he takes a breath) ... that was ... wonderful. ALEX stares straight ahead, at the door, then back at Walden. ALEX (cont.) Hey, you did good tonight. WALDEN Yeah, I know. But back to you two. What were you doing over there? ALEX We were just ... talking. WALDEN Talking? I didn't hear hardly a word out of either of you the entire night. ALEX is staring at the door again. ALEX Yeah. It was incredible. WALDEN, disinterested, pats ALEX on the back. WALDEN Well, good to see someone's happy. Hey, you happy enough to lend me twenty bucks? ALEX turns and glares at WALDEN. EXT - LONG STREET - LATE NIGHT AL and ANNA are walking, some distance between them. AL That was a nasty trick you pulled back there. ANNA I'm sorry. AL I mean, you came with me, you knew you were leaving with me, would it have killed you to spend a little time with me? ANNA I said, I'm sorry. AL What do you see in that guy, anyway? ANNA stops walking. ANNA Al, that's enough. You're a nice guy, but you've got the wrong idea about our relationship. AL Anna, I love you. ANNA No, you don't. You're supposed to love me. There's a difference. AL I know what I'm talking about. It's different than that. I think I really do love you. For real. ANNA Oh, shit. She turns away from him, clacking her heels on the concrete. AL Anna, you have to see it. If we're supposed to be together, we should be together. ANNA's eyes are closed and her head turned down. ANNA Shit, oh shit. AL Maybe it isn't quite working out now, but in time it could ... She whirls around and screams at him. ANNA IT'S NEVER GOING TO WORK OUT! Al ... you're sleeping with Charity! AL Charity? That doesn't mean anything. It's my last fling as a bachelor. Anyway, I was just being nice to her so I could get closer to you. Anna cups her hand over her face. ANNA I am not having this conversation. I am not having this conversation. AL I'm not gonna push it. I know you think that somehow you and that other guy were meant to be together. I can see that. But just give it time, and, you know, think about it, okay? ANNA (quietly) Don't talk. Don't say anything. Just continue walking. They continue walking. ANNA (cont.) You know, when I was a kid, when I was a teenager, when I was alone, there was no one around who would say they loved me. Now that I've finally figured out how to survive on my own, I've got love up to my armpits. Well, I don't need it, especially not from you, not from someone my sister picked out for me out of an actor's headshot book. Love? Fuck love, I don't know what love is! And neither do you, and if you say otherwise you're a liar. AL I've never heard you talk like that. ANNA Does it scare you? AL A little. You sound like someone who's lost all hope. Actually, you sound just like Charity. ANNA Yeah, well, maybe my sister and I aren't so different after all. They keep walking, staring straight ahead, neither saying anything. On Al's normally blank face we now see the scars of disillusionment and betrayal. His eyes twitch as if holding back tears, but he won't cry. But what he doesn't see is Anna, her lip and face twitching, and her wide eyes, eyes with enough love for anyone, running over with tears. Which is probably just as well. EXT - ESCAPE STREET, NEAR ANNA'S HOUSE - LATE NIGHT ANNA and AL walk up near the old Paignoir house, but stop for a moment as they hear a loud rumble and the roof of the older-looking part of the house caves in right in front of their eyes. Tile is falling off the roof and dust and soot are streaming down the outer walls like in an avalanche. We have never seen the house in such bad shape before. Stranger still, light is flooding out of every crack and window, almost as if the house were on fire but without any smoke. At last the dust settles, and ANNA and AL continue walking, up the steps to the front door. Stopping in front of it, AL turns and finally looks at Anna, noticing she's been crying. She notices him and snaps back into her role as an emotionless punk. AL What's wrong? ANNA (flatly) I got something in my eye. AL shrugs, and reaches to open the door, but it swings open quickly by itself. We are suddenly blinded by all the light coming from the house - it is lit up enough for eighteen Christmases. Charity is standing right in the doorway, with a huge smile on her face, dressed in formal attire but with a paper birthday-party hat on her head, and a new year's noisemaker in her hand. She blows it. CHARITY (all smiles) Surprise! AL and ANNA look at Charity, confused and shocked. ANNA Charity? CHARITY Anna! Al, darling! You don't know how delighted I am to see you! Charity turns and calls to the figures behind her, who we can't quite see. CHARITY (cont.) Look who's here, everyone! It's the guests of honor! ANNA peers into the doorway, trying to see who she's talking to, but sees only a bunch of black-and-white photographic cutouts of people, life-sized and propped-up on little stands. CHARITY (cont.) Well, don't be strangers, you two, come in and make yourselves at home! ANNA and AL are wide-eyed and still don't know what to make of all this, but Charity wraps her arm around and pushes them into the center of the room. Now we see just how many of those life-sized cutout "people" there are in the room. At least a hundred, arranged all around the room, all set up to "look" straight at ANNA and AL. AL shivers at this. CHARITY (cont.) The whole family's just dying to talk to you! AL Family? What family? CHARITY Why, this family of course, you big silly! We're all family here! She waves her arm around the room, indicating the cutouts, then notices the look of fear on AL's face. CHARITY (cont.) Oh, I'm sorry, you're nervous aren't you? Of course, this is your first time meeting anyone in the family except Anna and me. You don't have to be frightened, I've told everyone so many stories about you that they practically know you already! CHARITY laughs. AL looks at ANNA quizzically. She shrugs at him, as if to say, just roll with it. Anna is clearly used to this sort of thing. CHARITY grabs AL suddenly, and drags him over to two very old-looking photo cutouts, of a young man with black hair and a pencil-thin moustache, and a young woman in flapper garb. CHARITY (cont.) This is my my great-aunt, Harmony Freeman Paignoir, and her husband, my great-uncle-in-law, Roddy Freeman. Roddy wanted to be an actor too, just like you! Of course all the movies were silent then. I'm sure you'll have lots to talk about. AL stares at the cutout people, shaking in fear, though he's not quite sure why. CHARITY pats him on the back and runs off. AL looks at her as she goes. CHARITY (cont.) And Anna - Now CHARITY grabs ANNA, and walks her to the opposite side of the room. ANNA is very calm now, almost amused. CHARITY (cont.) I've got a special surprise for you. Close your eyes. ANNA closes her eyes as CHARITY leads her, then stops as she reaches two cutouts. ANNA stops too. CHARITY (cont.) Now open them. ANNA opens her eyes and gasps. ANNA Aunt Mercy! Uncle Angus! CHARITY smiles. We see what Anna's seeing - cutout photos of Uncle Angus Biddle and Aunt Mercy Biddle Paignoir - only they are taken from very old photos of the couple, who look fairly young, and very happy, very different from the older couple we know them as. In the photo, Angus is even holding a young kitten. Though the cutouts don't move, we hear their voices in Anna's mind. VOICE OF UNCLE ANGUS That's right, Anna. Your sister Charity there found an old picture of us in the attic, and fixed us up, good as new and younger than before! VOICE OF AUNT MERCY Oh Angus, I feel so youthful and alive, just like I'm falling in love with you all over again. A tear of joy streams down ANNA's cheek. She stares, wide-eyed, at the photograph. CHARITY pats ANNA on the back, and walks to the other side of the room, saying hello to the cutouts on the way. CHARITY Hello Grampa Dewey. Grandma Hope, so great to see you! Cousin Faith, you're looking good as ever. Great-uncle Joe, you old rascal. How are the kids? She stops in front of AL, who is still standing in front of the same cutouts, bewildered. He looks at CHARITY. CHARITY (cont.) I'm so glad that everyone could be here on such a joyous occasion. AL Joyous occasion? CHARITY (laughs) You don't know? Oh, of course not, you haven't made the announcement yet. That's all right, leave everything to me. AL What are you talking about? CHARITY walks out into the center of the room. CHARITY Your attention everyone! I have the most wonderful announcement to make. My good friend, Mr. Al Pressman here (she points at AL), has just announced his intentions to marry my sister, Anna Paignoir! ANNA reacts with shock. ANNA Marry me? AL WHAT? CHARITY Oh, isn't love beautiful? AL I didn't agree to this! CHARITY The wedding is on sunday, the day after tomorrow, and you're all invited! We hear applause, as if all the cutouts in the room are applauding, though they don't move. ANNA is dizzy, the room seems to be spinning all around her. All she sees are cutout faces, spinning faster and faster. We can hear the cutouts talking, chattering to each other, scratchy voices from the past. ANNA's legs give out underneath her and she half-falls, then sits down limply on the floor. Al runs to her. AL Are you all right? ANNA I don't ... I don't know if I'm all right. I don't know if I'll ever be all right again. AL I'm so sorry Anna, this is all my fault. ANNA No, you didn't do anything. Did you? AL Of course not! ANNA (yawning) Then you've got nothing to worry about. I, on the other hand, have suddenly grown very, very tired. Her eyes close and she falls backward to the floor. AL catches her, but she is unconscious, asleep. She has passed out. He holds her in his arms and carries her upstairs to her room as the sounds of the past grow louder all around them. CHARITY seems to hardly notice, and shouts to the cutout people around her -- CHARITY Attention everyone! The bar is now open, and drinks are on me! We hear cheers from the cutouts, and there is a sudden FLASH, like the popping of one of Charity's oversized flashbulbs. Music. Old music. The entire room now turns black-and-white, and we see it in a slow, jerky rhythm, like in an old, silent movie. Everything all around Charity has the look and consistency of a black-and-white photograph, and the room has come alive. All the cutout photos have been replaced by real people, dressed as they were in decades past, and they are alive and young and chatting with each other, ordering drinks, dancing, and having a grand old time. INT - ANNA'S ROOM - LATE NIGHT AL, carrying the sleeping ANNA, pushes the door open, and walks carefully into the room, taking pains not to disturb Anna. He lays her gently on her bed, resting her head lightly on the pillow. AL (softly) I'm sorry things couldn't have been different. Who knows, you might have even grown to like me. He tucks the covers and blanket over her with care, and kisses her on the cheek. AL (softly) Goodnight, my love. He leaves, turning the light off as he goes. EXT - CAMPUS STREET, NEAR THE DORMS - LATE NIGHT Alex and Walden are walking to their respective dorm rooms. WALDEN I don't know, it's too much work if you ask me. ALEX (sleepily) What is? WALDEN Love. Having a real relationship with a woman. I mean, you gotta call her, you have to come see her all the time and count the minutes until you can see her again, you have to buy her flowers and gifts and remember your anniversaries ... it's a big time committment. I got classes and work to worry about; I don't have that kind of free time right now. ALEX Yeah, I can see how that could be a problem. WALDEN That's why hookers are so popular with businessmen. It's not a big time committment, you just have to put a little money into it, and you get the end result you're looking for, i.e. sex, without any further obligation. ALEX Mm-hm. Hey, let's go around the back entrance, I don't want to wake up my roommate. WALDEN You have a roommate? Alex shrugs. They walk around the corner of the building, where the back entrances to the various dorm rooms are. ALEX finds his and takes his keys out of his pocket. ALEX Hey, thanks for inviting me tonight. WALDEN We got a good band there, right? We're fucking brilliant, right? ALEX Yeah, you're fucking brilliant. WALDEN I'll see ya, man. ALEX nods, yawning, unlocks his door and walks inside, closing the door after him. INT - ALEX'S DORM ROOM - LATE NIGHT ALEX enters. His ROOMMATE is already sleeping, a pornographic magazine by his side. ALEX doesn't turn on the light or dress for bed or anything, he just jumps on his bed and passes out instantly, fast asleep. EXT - NEAR THE BACK OF WALDEN'S DORM ROOM - LATE NIGHT WALDEN walks to his own back door, whistling the intro to "Rock of Ages" softly to himself. But he stops in his tracks as he sees someone, dressed all in black from boots to gloves and carrying an oversized black duffel bag, picking his lock with a steel utensil. She stops, noticing Walden, and turns to look at him. We now suddenly recognize her as the SORORITY GIRL WITH THE NOSE RING we saw in Professor Paris' class. WALDEN You're the campus burglar? For a moment, WALDEN and the BURGLAR just stare at each other. Then she drops her lockpick, grabs her duffel bag and runs. WALDEN Hey! WALDEN grabs the lockpick from the ground, looks at it, and decides to run after her. WALDEN (cont.) You forgot your lockpick! He runs, as fast as he can, in the same direction the BURGLAR just disappeared into. EXT - CAMPUS STREET - LATE NIGHT The BURGLAR, scared out of her wits and breathing heavily, runs as fast as she can down the street. She is fast, an experienced runner, but the heavy bag is slowing her down greatly, and we see that somehow WALDEN, in the distance, is catching up to her. WALDEN Hey, slow down! I want to talk to you! The BURGLAR, still running at top clip, turns her head around to shout at him. BURGLAR Don't come any closer! I have a gun! WALDEN I don't care about that! I just want to ask you a few questions for this book I'm writing! The BURGLAR, still running as fast as she can, looks at him like he's insane. BURGLAR Jesus Christ. He holds up the lockpick as he runs. He has nearly caught up with her now. WALDEN Just slow down. Tell me what kind of lockpick this is. BURGLAR What?! WALDEN What do you call this lockpick? BURGLAR It's not called anything! It's just a lockpick! Jesus! WALDEN You made it yourself, didn't you? WALDEN is ahead of her now, and turns around to stand right in front of her. She stops in her tracks. BURGLAR Fuck! You're a cop, aren't you? You're a fucking cop. WALDEN No, I'm just writing this book. The BURGLAR pulls out a gun, and shoots WALDEN in the chest. He gives a cry of pain, and falls, heavily, to the ground. The BURGLAR, exhausted from so much running, doubles over and rubs her ankles. She closes her eyes, takes as many deep breaths as she can and tries to get her strength back. BURGLAR (out of breath) Shit. This had to happen on the sixth week of class. I'll be in jail for murder, and miss all my finals, and ... ah, man. I don't need this now. I really don't need this now. She takes a deep breath, grabs her bag and runs, slower this time. As she goes she turns quickly to take a last look at Walden. Her eyes open wide, and she stops in her tracks, because WALDEN is staggering back to his feet. His legs are unsteady, but he looks unhurt. He coughs, and limps toward her. WALDEN Ow. (coughs) Crap, that hurt. The BURGLAR throws her hands up in the air and starts to laugh insanely. WALDEN (cont.) What's so funny? BURGLAR You. (laughs) You're funny. I just shot you in the chest and that's all you have to say? (imitates him) "Crap, that hurt." WALDEN Well, it did. The BURGLAR laughs, then cups her hand over her eyes and acts more like she's crying with a smile. BURGLAR I've never fired a gun before. This isn't even my gun. It's my dad's gun. He gave it to me for protection, said there were bad people in the city. You know, like burglars. (laughs, whimpering a little) It's just that ... I thought a gunshot would ... I didn't mean to, and ... GODDAMNIT, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD BY NOW! WALDEN lifts up his sweater, showing a bulletproof vest underneath. He pats it. WALDEN Bulletproof vest. I wear it as a fashion statement, makes me feel more like a private eye. What, you think I'd chase after a burglar if I didn't have one of these on? Come on, I'm not nuts. Here's your lockpick back. He hands it to her. The BURGLAR half-laughs, half-cries, then turns and walks away. WALDEN (cont.) Where are you going? BURGLAR Home. I need sleep. She stops, turns, and looks at Walden. BURGLAR (cont.) Are you gonna turn me in to the police, or student affairs, or anything? WALDEN No, no way. BURGLAR Okay, so I'll have to turn myself in, right? WALDEN No, don't do that, screw it. If nobody knows, don't tell 'em. I could never figure out how they expect us to pay tuition round here without a little petty theft anyway. BURGLAR Yeah, tell me about it. Well, bye then. She grabs her duffel bag, and starts to walk away. WALDEN If you leave, I'm only gonna chase you again. She pauses a moment, then turns and looks at Walden, smiling. BURGLAR You promise? WALDEN smiles back at her. EXT - CAMPUS STREETS - LATE NIGHT The BURGLAR runs, WALDEN close behind, chasing her. Both are laughing like schoolchildren. They jump over park benches, climb up and over fences, and run up and down campus steps, giddy with excitement. INT - WALDEN'S DORM ROOM - LATE NIGHT WALDEN and the BURGLAR are in bed together, asleep. INT - ALEX'S DORM ROOM - LATE NIGHT ALEX is curled up on top of the bed, asleep in day clothes. INT