“An Unpleasantly Meaningful Tale about Dreams and Other Unpleasant Notions”

Written by J A Parker

Copyright © All Rights Reserved

FADE IN:

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

Moonlight shines through a large window onto a woman lying in her bed. She’s shaking, sleeping, her eyes twitching every now and then.

				NARRATOR (V.O)
		A dream...

This voice is full of wisdom. It’s low, old, very slowly paced and crackling every now and then like an old record playing.

				NARRATOR (V.O) (CONT’D)
A dream can be defined as a series of imaginary images, sounds, voices, thoughts or sensations during your slumber. They are usually involuntary and most do not remember the dreams they experience come morning.

INT. CLASSROOM - MORNING

A boy, thirteen, in school uniform, sits at a desk with other students around him in a classroom. They all stare forward to the teacher. The boy is in a trance. His eyes are wide and mouth partially open.

				NARRATOR (V.O)
Daydreaming is somewhat different to dreaming. For one, you’re awake. 

The boy is almost smiling as he’s absentminded.

				NARRATOR (V.O)
You may be forgetful that you’re awake during a daydream... and it is also true that you choose your own musings or fantasies whilst daydreaming.

INT. OFFICE - MORNING

A man of stature, wearing a sharp looking suit and slicked back hair, sits behind a mahogany desk writing out forms. The desk is neat with a golden plaque on it. The plaque reads: “Donnelly Broadbent”.

The office he sits in is quite spacious and looks quite classy with a large window overlooking a city.

A knock on the door startles DONNELLY.

				DONNELLY
			(raised voice)
		Come in.

A man enters, early thirties, tidy looking wearing a shirt and tie with work type of pants and shoes.

				DONNELLY
		Ah, James, what can I do for you?

Donnelly goes back to filling out the forms. JAMES, quietly closes the door behind him and gently walks across the room to the chair opposite Donnelly. He sits on it. He waits staring at Donnelly.

Donnelly looks up from his forms and stares at James with slight puzzlement.

				DONNELLY
Did you just want a comfy seat to sit on or have you something to say?

James leans forward slightly toward Donnelly.

				JAMES
		I quit.

Donnelly is surprised by this. He looks to James as though he’s heard wrong.

				DONNELLY
		Did you say you quit?

				JAMES
		Yes... I quit this job. I quit. I do.

				DONNELLY
				(confused)
But why James... I’ve just promoted you somewhat a month ago?

				JAMES
I quit because I want to follow my dreams.

Donnelly is further confused. James smiles with glee and satisfaction.

				NARRATOR (V.O)
Some dreams can lead you down certain roads in which you believe is the right road to the perfect life. 

James stands up with pride and storms out of the room leaving Donnelly in disbelief.

				NARRATOR (V.O)
This road is known as the risky road, the inevitable misfortune road or the road that has a very big sign at the end of it which states: Dead end, please feel free to pass the rest of your life by using this sign to dig your own grave at the side of the road. Thank you for reading and have a nice day.

INT. STUDY ROOM - NIGHT

James sits at a desk inside a small study room filled with only the desk he sits at and the seat he sits on. He is typing and staring into the monitors screen with very tired eyes. He looks rugged and rough.

				NARRATOR (V.O)
Of course, if you choose to follow your dream and you work at it and work at it... you might just get lucky and succeed.

INT. STUDY ROOM - NIGHT

James has aged by thirty years. He’s wrinkly with hardly any hair and what hair he has, they are frail and white. He stares at the same computer screen typing away with a much lesser pace.

				NARRATOR (V.O)
Saying that, you can begin to realise that the dream you follow won’t even begin at all and you chose to follow your own disappointing life’s ending.

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

The moonlight shines brighter on the woman as her eyes snap open. She sits up on her bed with something big on her mind.

				NARRATOR (V.O)
To say some dreams begin as funny little notions in your mind in which you later tell to your friends as a humorous conversation piece is false.

The woman climbs out of her bed sheets and exits the room.

				NARRATOR (V.O)
Those notions are brighter than most and your belief toward them is so strong that you’ll risk everything to get what you want.

INT. VET CENTRE - MORNING

The woman, wearing a suit and looking very smart, walks into a smallish vets centre.

A few dogs, cats and birds, with their owners, wait in the reception area.

INT. VETS OFFICE - MORNING

The woman has a nervous smile on her face. She sits across from another woman who looks as though she works as a veterinarian. The veterinarian is holding a small folder as she reads through it.

Looking up with regret across her face, the veterinarian stares at the woman and shakes her head to say ‘no’.

				VETERINARIAN
I’m sorry Miss Burnett, your qualifications don’t match with the standards we want and... I’m afraid you don’t fit the job. I’m sorry.

The woman is more than disappointed. She lowers her head in grief and sorrow.

				NARRATOR (V.O)
But even the smallest of dreams can turn you down.

INT. CLASSROOM - MORNING

The boy sits staring into space in the classroom full of other students. He is still in a daydream.

				NARRATOR (V.O)
Maybe it is youth and the power of time that aids some dreams... or maybe it’s just luck.

The bell rings around the room signalling the lesson over. The boy snaps out of his trance with a big smile. He gets up and leaves with everyone else.

INT. PRACTICE ROOM - DAY

The boy is sat playing a new looking electric guitar. He seems to be a novice as plucks away a few notes and some slow changing chords.

				NARRATOR (V.O)
With time, practice will make perfect... so it’s been said.

EXT. FESTIVAL MAIN STAGE - NIGHT

The boy, now in his early twenties, plays with a three piece band singing and rocking with a massive crowd rocking with him. His distinctive eyes and facial features acknowledge that it is the boy grown up, using the same guitar.

				NARRATOR (V.O)
And with a pinch of perfect and a sprinkle of luck, everything you’ve ever wanted will be yours.

The band continues to play heavy rock on stage.

INT. DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT

The boy, still early twenties, sits in front of a mirror with his band members and some groupies behind him messing around. He is sweating after playing his heart out.

He begins to fiddle with something on the desk on front of the mirror. He’s lining up some cocaine carefully. The boy looks a little dazed and unsteady as he prepares a line.

After a short moment, he lowers his head and sniffs along the line taking in the cocaine --

-- but he fails to reach the end of the line as he drops almost unconscious. He falls off his seat crashing his head with the table and falling to ground. He lies twitching having major spasms all over his body.

His friends and groupies notice him immediately and panic to help.

				NARRATOR (V.O)
Even though your life may have started off like a dream, there’s no telling where and when it ends or how.

INT. AMBULANCE - NIGHT

Paramedics rush the boy into the back of the van in a stretcher. He is motionless as the ambulance begins to move.

		NARRATOR (V.O)
The point of this story...? To feed your knowledge of such happenings... to annoy you or destroy your beliefs... or it could be that... dreams may lead your life one way as your daydreams fulfil the other... and no matter how hard you believe in such visions, your dreams can only become true and part of reality if you make them... and even then fate, being fate, will take over in time.

The paramedic in the back of the van tries to resuscitate the boy with all his might.

		NARRATOR (V.O)
Destroying beliefs is only a hobby of mine. Believe me when I say I’m just passing the time telling you this unpleasant tale of broken dreams.

The heart monitor beeps, seemingly forever, signalling the flatline and death of the boy.

FADE OUT:

THE END