They say the first pages are the hardest because you have to hook 'em. Would you see this?
From "unravelling" by RathBandu. Idea Protected up the wazoo.
This is the story of a girl
Who cried a river and drowned the whole world
And though she looks so sad in photographs I absolutely love her
When she smiles
-Nine Days, “Absolutely (Story of A Girl)”
FADE IN:
INT. ROSE HILL PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTION-NIGHT
A line of photographs rest on a table. They are of teenagers in happy times, smiling and laughing at dances and parties. Some are posed, others are candids. There are many of them, perhaps hundreds.
Of all these, however, there is one unifying factor. A beautiful young woman, blond-haired, brown eyes. She is graceful and elegant,
smooth skin covering a lean dancer’s frame. The moonlight plays across the photographic sheen, making her beauty almost angelic. Meet ELIZABETH ANNE CONNELLY, nineteen years old.
One of the last photos is of Elizabeth at a formal dance. She wears a stunning red dress, her hair swept up and pinned with faux rubies.
She holds a young man’s arm, but his face is hidden by an ashtray, his features distorted. Then:
INT. GYM-NIGHT
The photographer’s flash goes off and Elizabeth and the young man, one RYAN WELSH, step away. He moves over to arrange payment for the photo while a trio of gals in formal dresses, KELLY, ANNAMAE, and AMY, sandy-blond, blond, and curly black hair, respectively, break from their dates to talk to Elizabeth. They are also dressed in formal
wear, this is Homecoming Night at Walsh Jesuit High School.
KELLY: Elizabeth, I love your dress...
AMY: It’s so pretty...
ANNAMAE: Where did you get it...
Elizabeth smiles. Her bright smile sparkles up a room.
ELIZABETH: Kohl’s..
The girls’ chatter becomes indistinct as other girls and their dates, waiting in line, appear. One of these girls, SARAH HINKERT, looks
very bored. She looks over to her date and sighs. She rolls her eyes, uncomfortable and wanting to go home.
Her date stares over at Elizabeth, glancing out of the corner of his eye. He half-smiles, seeing her giggle and clutch her wrap. The bright
lights of the gymnaisium have begun to make him sweat, the order form for the photos is clutched in a shaking hand. The nails are torn
to shreds, the cuticles dried blood.
Ryan comes over to Elizabeth and takes her arm. They walk towards the dance floor commons. Ash floats down from the ceiling and lands on Ryan’s head. He doesn’t notice as his features become distorted and:
INT. ROSE HILL-NIGHT
Ryan’s face is again covered by the ashtray.
A hand taps ash into the tray. An arm dressed in a windbreaker travels up towards a mouth. He inhales, then exhales. His face is littered with acne scars, his hair, long and unwashed, tied back in a small ponytail. His hand clutches a piece of paper, shaking.
This is the young man from the dance. COLIN HENDERSON, twenty years old. Intense, he is handsome despite his flaws.
Colin looks out onto the empty grounds. He half-smiles.
He brings the paper up into the light and unfolds it. It is a letter typed in a cursive font. It is from Elizabeth.
ELIZABETH (V.O.): Colin, there is Kronos and there is Kairos. Kronos is deadlines and time tables...
The writing follows along with Elizabeth’s voice.
INT. HOSTEL BEDROOM-NIGHT
Colin, on one of Walsh’s religious retreats, reads her letter.
ELIZABETH (V.O.): ...Kairos is sun-swept beaches and empty valleys. Kronos is stress and rejection...
INT. ELIZABETH’S BEDROOM-NIGHT
The letter in Colin’s hand turns into a computer screen. Elizabeth types the words as she speaks.
ELIZABETH (V.O.): ...Kairos is a Schubert waltz in Vienna with your soul mate.
INT. COLIN’S BEDROOM-NIGHT
Elizabeth’s words morph into Colin’s as he types a similar letter.
COLIN (V.O.): And the reason that I believe you’re my soul mate, Elizabeth is because I can’t stop thinking about anyone but you. The sun rises and sets with you. I truly believe that. Now, I know you consider me just a friend...
Colin watches the letter print off the computer.
COLIN (V.O.): ...and crossing that line is the furthest thing from reality in your mind, but I had to tell you. You are the one person who
has reached out and kept me close. I think.
Colin folds and seals the letter in an envelope.
COLIN (V.O.): Even if we never speak again after this, know that I am forever changed by who you are and what you mean to me.
INT. WALSH JESUIT-COMMONS-MORNING
Colin enters and sees Elizabeth. She and her friend STACEY BLESSING are the only other people in the commons.
Elizabeth sees Colin and smiles. She waves.
Colin reaches into his pocket and brings out the letter. He hands it to her.
COLIN: Either this changes nothing or it changes everything. Thanks.
He walks away. As he walks towards his table, panes of glass start to fall into place until...
INT. ROSE HILL-NIGHT
...Colin looks down at the letter in his hand. He folds it neatly and places it in his pocket.
Colin turns and sweeps all the photos into a briefcase. He taps out the last of his cigarette and looks over at his bed.
Lying on the bed is a petite young woman with short dark hair and wide expressive eyes. She wears a men’s undershirt/top and dark jeans. This is CRISTINA RODRIGUEZ HARPER, twenty years old. She is also a patient at Rose Hill.
Colin walks over to the bed and glances down at her sleeping form. He nudges her shoulder.
COLIN: Hey...
Cristina stirs.
COLIN: Time to go.
Cristina rubs the sleep from her eyes and sits up. She smiles.
CRISTINA: I had a lovely dream. I drempt I was a princess.
COLIN: Really? You’ll have to tell me all about it...in the car.
INT. BUS-NIGHT
Colin and Cristina ride west across the upstate New York landscape, going home. Colin reads a news magazine while Cristina sleeps on his shoulder. The story on the magazine cover reads “The Hunt for The Midwestern Monster” (or some similar exploitive title about the Midwestern serial killer).
Colin shivers and then frowns. Cristina stirs, but does not awake.
EXT. REST STOP-NIGHT
The rest stop is a classy state-funded place astride the tollway with several franchise eateries availible. A large passenger bus is parked out front.
INT. REST STOP-BATHROOM-NIGHT
Colin washes his face and hands, bending over in the sink. He rubs the sleep out of his eyes and straightens up.
He sees in the mirror Elizabeth, standing behind him. He lets out a cry of surprise. She’s quite pale but dirty, and wears rather buisness like clothes, a matching skirt and blouse.
COLIN: Elizabeth? What are you doing here?
ELIZABETH: I’m dead, Colin. I’m dead and you know it.
Colin slouches back onto the sink.
COLIN: You always did have a way of saying things. Now why are you really here?
Elizabeth half-smiles, sad.
ELIZABETH: I’m sorry to bother you. I thought you were someone else.
She turns to go, then whirls around. Her hair has gone greasy, her eyes have sunk into her skull, and her skin has gone a mottled, decomposing brown around her skull.
She reaches out with a bony, clawed hand and stabs it right through Colin’s chest. It come out the other side. He is unharmed.
With a peverse, rough growl, she says:
ELIZABETH: I THOUGHT YOU WERE SOMEONE WHO WOULD HELP ME! SOMEONE WHO SAID HE LOVED ME, ALIVE OR DEAD! WAS I MISTAKEN?
COLIN: N...no.
She removes her hand from his body and turns back into her normal ghostly self.
ELIZABETH: Good. Now, go trade in your bus ticket. You’ve got a lot of work to do.
From "unravelling" by RathBandu. Idea Protected up the wazoo.
This is the story of a girl
Who cried a river and drowned the whole world
And though she looks so sad in photographs I absolutely love her
When she smiles
-Nine Days, “Absolutely (Story of A Girl)”
FADE IN:
INT. ROSE HILL PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTION-NIGHT
A line of photographs rest on a table. They are of teenagers in happy times, smiling and laughing at dances and parties. Some are posed, others are candids. There are many of them, perhaps hundreds.
Of all these, however, there is one unifying factor. A beautiful young woman, blond-haired, brown eyes. She is graceful and elegant,
smooth skin covering a lean dancer’s frame. The moonlight plays across the photographic sheen, making her beauty almost angelic. Meet ELIZABETH ANNE CONNELLY, nineteen years old.
One of the last photos is of Elizabeth at a formal dance. She wears a stunning red dress, her hair swept up and pinned with faux rubies.
She holds a young man’s arm, but his face is hidden by an ashtray, his features distorted. Then:
INT. GYM-NIGHT
The photographer’s flash goes off and Elizabeth and the young man, one RYAN WELSH, step away. He moves over to arrange payment for the photo while a trio of gals in formal dresses, KELLY, ANNAMAE, and AMY, sandy-blond, blond, and curly black hair, respectively, break from their dates to talk to Elizabeth. They are also dressed in formal
wear, this is Homecoming Night at Walsh Jesuit High School.
KELLY: Elizabeth, I love your dress...
AMY: It’s so pretty...
ANNAMAE: Where did you get it...
Elizabeth smiles. Her bright smile sparkles up a room.
ELIZABETH: Kohl’s..
The girls’ chatter becomes indistinct as other girls and their dates, waiting in line, appear. One of these girls, SARAH HINKERT, looks
very bored. She looks over to her date and sighs. She rolls her eyes, uncomfortable and wanting to go home.
Her date stares over at Elizabeth, glancing out of the corner of his eye. He half-smiles, seeing her giggle and clutch her wrap. The bright
lights of the gymnaisium have begun to make him sweat, the order form for the photos is clutched in a shaking hand. The nails are torn
to shreds, the cuticles dried blood.
Ryan comes over to Elizabeth and takes her arm. They walk towards the dance floor commons. Ash floats down from the ceiling and lands on Ryan’s head. He doesn’t notice as his features become distorted and:
INT. ROSE HILL-NIGHT
Ryan’s face is again covered by the ashtray.
A hand taps ash into the tray. An arm dressed in a windbreaker travels up towards a mouth. He inhales, then exhales. His face is littered with acne scars, his hair, long and unwashed, tied back in a small ponytail. His hand clutches a piece of paper, shaking.
This is the young man from the dance. COLIN HENDERSON, twenty years old. Intense, he is handsome despite his flaws.
Colin looks out onto the empty grounds. He half-smiles.
He brings the paper up into the light and unfolds it. It is a letter typed in a cursive font. It is from Elizabeth.
ELIZABETH (V.O.): Colin, there is Kronos and there is Kairos. Kronos is deadlines and time tables...
The writing follows along with Elizabeth’s voice.
INT. HOSTEL BEDROOM-NIGHT
Colin, on one of Walsh’s religious retreats, reads her letter.
ELIZABETH (V.O.): ...Kairos is sun-swept beaches and empty valleys. Kronos is stress and rejection...
INT. ELIZABETH’S BEDROOM-NIGHT
The letter in Colin’s hand turns into a computer screen. Elizabeth types the words as she speaks.
ELIZABETH (V.O.): ...Kairos is a Schubert waltz in Vienna with your soul mate.
INT. COLIN’S BEDROOM-NIGHT
Elizabeth’s words morph into Colin’s as he types a similar letter.
COLIN (V.O.): And the reason that I believe you’re my soul mate, Elizabeth is because I can’t stop thinking about anyone but you. The sun rises and sets with you. I truly believe that. Now, I know you consider me just a friend...
Colin watches the letter print off the computer.
COLIN (V.O.): ...and crossing that line is the furthest thing from reality in your mind, but I had to tell you. You are the one person who
has reached out and kept me close. I think.
Colin folds and seals the letter in an envelope.
COLIN (V.O.): Even if we never speak again after this, know that I am forever changed by who you are and what you mean to me.
INT. WALSH JESUIT-COMMONS-MORNING
Colin enters and sees Elizabeth. She and her friend STACEY BLESSING are the only other people in the commons.
Elizabeth sees Colin and smiles. She waves.
Colin reaches into his pocket and brings out the letter. He hands it to her.
COLIN: Either this changes nothing or it changes everything. Thanks.
He walks away. As he walks towards his table, panes of glass start to fall into place until...
INT. ROSE HILL-NIGHT
...Colin looks down at the letter in his hand. He folds it neatly and places it in his pocket.
Colin turns and sweeps all the photos into a briefcase. He taps out the last of his cigarette and looks over at his bed.
Lying on the bed is a petite young woman with short dark hair and wide expressive eyes. She wears a men’s undershirt/top and dark jeans. This is CRISTINA RODRIGUEZ HARPER, twenty years old. She is also a patient at Rose Hill.
Colin walks over to the bed and glances down at her sleeping form. He nudges her shoulder.
COLIN: Hey...
Cristina stirs.
COLIN: Time to go.
Cristina rubs the sleep from her eyes and sits up. She smiles.
CRISTINA: I had a lovely dream. I drempt I was a princess.
COLIN: Really? You’ll have to tell me all about it...in the car.
INT. BUS-NIGHT
Colin and Cristina ride west across the upstate New York landscape, going home. Colin reads a news magazine while Cristina sleeps on his shoulder. The story on the magazine cover reads “The Hunt for The Midwestern Monster” (or some similar exploitive title about the Midwestern serial killer).
Colin shivers and then frowns. Cristina stirs, but does not awake.
EXT. REST STOP-NIGHT
The rest stop is a classy state-funded place astride the tollway with several franchise eateries availible. A large passenger bus is parked out front.
INT. REST STOP-BATHROOM-NIGHT
Colin washes his face and hands, bending over in the sink. He rubs the sleep out of his eyes and straightens up.
He sees in the mirror Elizabeth, standing behind him. He lets out a cry of surprise. She’s quite pale but dirty, and wears rather buisness like clothes, a matching skirt and blouse.
COLIN: Elizabeth? What are you doing here?
ELIZABETH: I’m dead, Colin. I’m dead and you know it.
Colin slouches back onto the sink.
COLIN: You always did have a way of saying things. Now why are you really here?
Elizabeth half-smiles, sad.
ELIZABETH: I’m sorry to bother you. I thought you were someone else.
She turns to go, then whirls around. Her hair has gone greasy, her eyes have sunk into her skull, and her skin has gone a mottled, decomposing brown around her skull.
She reaches out with a bony, clawed hand and stabs it right through Colin’s chest. It come out the other side. He is unharmed.
With a peverse, rough growl, she says:
ELIZABETH: I THOUGHT YOU WERE SOMEONE WHO WOULD HELP ME! SOMEONE WHO SAID HE LOVED ME, ALIVE OR DEAD! WAS I MISTAKEN?
COLIN: N...no.
She removes her hand from his body and turns back into her normal ghostly self.
ELIZABETH: Good. Now, go trade in your bus ticket. You’ve got a lot of work to do.
