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"We can have in life but one great experience at best, and
the secret of life is to reproduce that experience as often
as possible."
--Oscar Wilde
FADE IN:
VARIOUS IMAGES flash by, violent and sharp in nature, nearly
as if DAGGERS slicing into the brain. The images, almost too
quick to see, depict ABSTRACT SITUATIONS, akin to photos with
no apparent focus. Some of BLOOD spilled on TILED FLOORS,
others of RANDOM COMPUTER KEYS, and the rest of BLOODSHOT
EYES, TWISTED METAL from a car lying haphazardly ON A ROAD,
and...
...Lucy.
INT. STEVEN'S ROOM - DAWN - FEBRUARY 19
STEVEN RICHARDS wakes up in his bed and quickly BOLTS UP
SCREAMING, escaping from a NIGHTMARE.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
MOM (O.S.)
(through door)
Time to wake up!
Steven SITS STILL for a moment, calming down, and then RUBS
HIS EYES and GETS OUT OF BED with his STUFFED ANIMAL, a puppy
named DIRTDEVIL.
STEVEN
(to mom)
I'm up!
Steven walks to the door, holding Dirtdevil in one hand and
scratching his head with the other. Steven is a boy,
fourteen years old, with an average build but is hunched over
as always. He is around average size relatively, but isn't
quite strong.
On his DESK is...a BOTTLE OF PILLS, the words "social
anxiety" and "depression" on the label, among others. Also
on the desk is a REPORT CARD, littered with "F"s and "D"s.
All the teachers' comments read the same: Steven is a very
intelligent boy...has the ability...is not turning in
work...spends all day writing in notebook...
But, most prominent on the desk, is a HUGE PILE of SCRIPTS,
all laying there, hundreds upon hundreds of pages merely
sitting on Steven's desk. The TITLES vary:
Faithless...Spoils of Evil...Atlantis-B...The Glass
Wall...Waking Dreams...
Steven OPENS THE DOOR, revealing his MOTHER, PATTIE MERCER.
She is in her early forties and has shoulder-length black
hair and, her most prominent feature, soft eyes.
Steven and his mom WALK INTO the HALLWAY and head for the
laundry room.
STEVEN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
I'm Steven Richards. I'm not who you
would call a "socializer." You see, my
passion is for movies. They are my
escape from the real world.
Mom KNOCKS ON A DOOR in the hallway.
CLAIRE (O.S.)
(through door)
I'M UP!
The door OPENS and reveals CLAIRE RICHARDS, a sixteen year
old girl with somewhat long blonde-dyed hair and manicured
fingernails.
STEVEN (V.O.)
That's Claire, my sister. She's part of
the "in-crowd", so she hates me. It's
funny because I can remember many times
when she would play with me at the park
and the pool, just the two of us.
Claire looks at Steven, then looks at Dirtdevil, and scoffs.
CLAIRE
(re: Dirtdevil)
Why do you still carry that around?
Steven looks at Dirtdevil and then gives Claire a confused
look.
STEVEN (V.O.)
My dog, Dirtdevil, has been around since
I was in kindergarten. Sure, he's not a
person, but he loves me.
Steven looks at Claire, KISSES Dirtdevil, and continues
walking.
INT. LIVING ROOM
Steven sets Dirtdevil down on the couch, which is in front of
the TV, and KISSES HIM GOODBYE. He then puts on a jacket and
grabs his bag.
STEVEN (V.O.)
I've been wondering why I need Dirtdevil.
I guess it's that I don't have any self
love, so I created someone to do it for
me. If I get rid of Dirtdevil, I'm
alone.
(sighs)
I need him.
EXT. MOM'S CAR
Mom's car pulls close to CAMDEN PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL, a large
facility five stories high with the gym connecting to the
side. The front of the school has a sidewalk which doubles
as a drop-off area.
The car pulls over to the sidewalk, Steven and Claire getting
out.
Steven walks along the main entrance, his hands in his
pockets and his eyes looking at the ground as Claire gets as
far away from him as she can, being sure no one knows she and
he are related.
EXT. GYM - BEFORE CLASS
Steven sits outside of the gym with other students, all on
their designated areas. Steven is WRITING in a NOTEBOOK.
The BELL RINGS and the TEACHER, MS. KARRY BERNS, arrives.
Berns is around fifty with angry eyes and an unbending
persona. She looks at the CLIPBOARD she's carrying.
BERNS
LINE UP! NOW! NOW! NOW! NOW! Come
on, come on, weakness is disability!!
You wanna be gimps??!! LINE UP!! MOVE
IT!!!
The students casually line up, not intimidated an ounce.
When lined up, they all begin to converse with each other,
that is, all except Steven, who still sits and WRITES.
BERNS (CONT'D)
ALL RIGHT, DRESS OUT!!!
Everyone, including Steven, stands and heads into the locker
rooms.
STEVEN (V.O.)
That's Ms. Berns, the teacher most hated
among the students. She's been hardened
by so many years, but I see glimmers of
the old Berns sometimes.
(beat)
Sometimes.
INT. MAIN BUILDING - HALLWAY
DAVID HALSTROM, JANET LEPOLE and LUKE CAMPBELL, all students
of the school, CIRCLE a kid with BAGGY EYES and PALE SKIN.
They repeatedly PUMMEL THE KID, breaking his nose and jaw and
letting his WALLET fall out of his pocket. Halstrom picks it
up, takes out all the money, pockets it, and then tosses the
empty wallet to the kid, now on the floor, bruised, bleeding
and crying.
INT. HALLWAY
Steven walks down a hallway, going towards his next class.
He looks around at the students, leaving their classrooms for
their next, and starts to SWEAT. He then BREATHES HEAVILY.
STEVEN (V.O.)
Every person has a fear, be it a lion or
even people.
(beat)
Lots of people.
Steven looks at the people again and they are all STARING AT
HIM SILENTLY.
STEVEN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
In public, with a simple glance, you're
judged. And with one trivial mistake-
Steven starts to walk faster as the people start to MOVE.
They still stare at him as they walk by until Steven loses
concentration-
BAM!
-and bumps into someone.
Steven looks at the person, who gives him an annoyed look.
STEVEN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
-you're hated.
Then all the kids LAUGH in an uproar of NOISE and
HUMILIATION. Steven looks around at the many souls laughing
at him, sweating and panting harder than ever.
STEVEN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
Then, little by little, bit by bit, laugh
by laugh, they destroy you.
Steven SIGHS.
Suddenly, everything GOES BACK TO NORMAL!
It WASN'T REAL!!!
Steven then WALKS TO HIS NEXT CLASS.
INT. SCHOOL - HISTORY CLASS - RECESS
Steven SITS IN A DESK, writing in his notebook, while other
kids laugh and tell stories.
LUCY (O.S.)
Hey, Poe.
Steven turns around and looks at LUCY NIELSON, a girl
Steven's age with short, dirty blonde hair, a pretty face and
a sweet smile.
She is wearing a THICK TURTLENECK, which she obsessively
keeps from slipping up or down, as if trying to hide
something.
Something like a bruise.
STEVEN
Hey, Luce.
Lucy sits by Steven.
STEVEN (CONT'D)
(beat)
So, how are things with Paul?
LUCY
(stuttering, suddenly afraid,
defensive)
Fine. Just f-f-fine.
STEVEN
Do you think he's still on the stuff?
LUCY
(resisting the urge to tell the
truth)
I d-don't think so.
(beat)
He quit for me, r-r-remember?
STEVEN
(knowing Lucy's lying)
Yeah.
(with resentment to Paul)
I remember.
LUCY
Everything's fine.
Steven SMILES.
STEVEN
I just don't want to see anything happen
to you.
The BELL RINGS and STUDENTS come STREAMING IN to the
classroom.
INT. CAFETERIA
Steven has TWO LUNCHES in front of him but eats neither.
Instead he WRITES IN HIS NOTEBOOK.
Just then, PAUL MILANDER, Lucy's boyfriend, a kid with an
almost demonic pair of eyes, and Lucy arrive and sit next to
Steven, who gives them the lunches.
Paul has his arm around Lucy's waist, at first glance casual
boyfriend-girlfriend fare, but under closer inspection a
noose to keep his property under his control.
LUCY
Hey, Poe.
STEVEN
Hey, Luce.
STEVEN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
Lucy always calls me Poe. Like the
writer Edgar Allen Poe, you know?
Anyway, it's been like my first name for
years.
Paul suddenly forces a KISS onto Lucy, who has no choice
other than to let him do it.
Steven reddens in the face angrily.
PAUL
(noticing, breaking the kiss)
So when are you going to get a
girlfriend?
Steven averts his eyes.
STEVEN
I don't know. As soon as I find someone
to love, I guess.
LUCY
(smiling)
You'll know when you do.
PAUL
(sneering)
Were we talking to you?
STEVEN
It's okay-
LUCY
(fearfully)
Sorry, Paul.
Steven SCRIBBLES in his notebook, Lucy noticing and
remembering something.
LUCY (CONT'D)
(eying notebook)
What new scripts do we have today?
Steven puts his pen down.
STEVEN
(sifts through notebook)
I'm doing a script like "A Perfect World,
" Kevin Costner.
LUCY
I love that movie.
STEVEN
You love Kevin Costner.
LUCY
That's not funny!
STEVEN
(laughing)
I know, I know. Matt Damon.
LUCY
Damn right Matt Damon. He's my man.
Steven LAUGHS.
Paul SNAPS at Lucy.
PAUL
Then what the hell am I?
LUCY
(stuttering)
I w-w-w-was j-just joking-
PAUL
Then don't God damn do it no more.
LUCY
(looking at floor)
Ok-kay.
By now Lucy and Paul have both finished their lunches. Lucy
then stands up with her tray, everything seeming normal until
she WINCES and DROPS HER TRAY on the table, her arm aching
with pain.
Paul looks at the mess on the table as Steven stands to help
Lucy.
STEVEN
(concerned)
Are you-
PAUL
Look at this mess! What's wrong with
you, huh?
Lucy almost shrinks in size under Paul's angry gaze, cowering
reflexively.
STEVEN
Do you need to see the nurse?
LUCY
(stuttering)
No, no, I j-j-j-j-just f-f-f-fell out of
bed. That's all.
Paul shakes his head in frustration.
PAUL
Let's get the hell out of here before
someone makes us clean this up, God damn
it.
INT. SCIENCE CLASS
Steven and Lucy sit at a lab table talking while the science
teacher sleeps at his desk.
LUCY
(laughs)
Come on. It's so obvious you're thinking
about someone.
STEVEN
(beat)
Why do you ask?
Lucy turns to her work, avoiding the subject. Avoiding the
answer.
STEVEN (CONT'D)
(beat)
Did you really fall out of bed?
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
GUNSHOTS echo through the halls and SCREAMS erupt from the
classrooms.
Steven and Lucy look at each other in fear and then see, in
the hallway, a STAMPEDE of STUDENTS running THROUGH THE HALLS
and TOWARD THE EXIT.
Suddenly ALL the students in the classroom RUN INTO THE HALLS
and HEAD FOR THE EXIT, including Steven and Lucy.
The two RUN into the halls, fleeing an unseen terror.
INT. HALL
The halls are FILLED with students as they all try to get to
the exit, one regular-sized door.
Steven and Lucy are in the middle of the flood of teenagers,
trying to get through the madness.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
More shots ring out, this time CLOSER. Both Steven and Lucy
look back and then FALL DOWN.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Someone LIFTS Steven onto his feet and then Steven helps Lucy
up. The two resume running until SIRENS wail in the
distance, rapidly getting nearer.
Suddenly the gunshots STOP.
EXT. SCHOOL - LATER
DOZENS of COP CARS and AMBULANCES crowd the scene with NEWS
VANS on the outskirts.
News reporter KELLY MITCHELL stands in front of her
cameraman, mike in hand.
KELLY
(to camera)
I'm here now at Camden high school, today
a site of great tragedy. Thirteen
gunshots rang out in the halls this
afternoon, on February 19th, at 1:17 PM,
all from a masked assailant at this time
armed and at large. The shooter fired
thirteen bullets today, killing three and
wounding five. The police aren't
releasing any information as of yet but
we have several unconfirmed reports that
among the dead is David Halstrom, Mayor
Halstrom's son. When we contacted
Halstrom's office the mayor declined to
comment-
MONTAGE- VARIOUS STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
One student, a fat kid with CURLY HAIR and FRECKLES talks, a
MICROPHONE shoved in his face. He is JAKE.
JAKE
(frantic)
I was right in front of him, I could feel
the shots go off...
(chokes back tears)
...that could've been me...
ANOTHER STUDENT is interviewed, this one a STEREOTYPICAL
PRETTY GIRL.
GIRL
(in shock)
I don't know what happened...I was just
in class one minute and the next...
A HANDSOME JOCK hogs the microphone, wearing a LETTERMAN'S
JACKET.
JOCK
(nonchalant)
I didn't see nothin'...only those dead
bodies. There were 'round twenty.
THE FAT KID continues his rant.
JAKE
...this was a gift. I was given a second
chance at life, and I'm not gonna waste
it...
INT. HALL
The hall has several blood spatters on the floor and walls.
Three bodies lie on the floor, lifeless.
SNAP!
The distinctive snap of a rubber glove emits from the hand of
detective JOHN BULL, the head of the investigation, along
with detective LOYD MURDOC, his partner.
Bull walks around the crime scene with great expertise yet
still manages to pull off an aura of nonchalance. Bull
examines the scene with his eyes.
A MEDICAL EXAMINER takes PICTURES of the crime scene.
BULL
(to Murdoc)
The shooter entered that room-
(points across the hall)
-and started spraying, and then ran out,
following all the other students.
MURDOC
Turkey shoot.
BULL
(in agreement)
Hmm.
(beat)
I'll bet the shooter missed a few shots.
You want a piece a' that action?
MURDOC
There's gotta be a bullet in the walls.
BULL
If not, there'll be plenty in the 'vics.
MURDOC
We're gonna get a lot of heat from the
mayor.
BULL
Yeah. We'd better close this one double
quick.
Just then the medical examiner takes out a BULLET, slightly
deformed, from the WALL.
MURDOC
How the fuck did we get a case all the
way up here?
BULL
It was Santo's call.
MURDOC
Shit. Fuckin' Santo.
(sigh)
Should throw the God damn book at 'im,
God damn dirty cops.
BULL
(snaps)
Watch it with that shit. Santo's a good
guy. Just placed some evidence here an'
there. Nothing wrong with that.
MURDOC
(scoffs)
Right.
INT. STEVEN'S HOUSE - STEVEN'S ROOM - NIGHT
Steven SLEEPS on his BED with the door OPEN and light
STREAMING IN from the hallway.
STEVEN (V.O.)
Why do we ask for forgiveness after the
fact? It always seems selfish. People
repent to relieve their pain, for relief.
Claire's silhouette creeps up the walls of the room.
STEVEN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
I would keep my mouth shut and try to
make it up, no matter how hard it gets.
Claire enters the room, climbs onto Steven's bed, puts her
arm around him and goes to sleep.
INT. COUNSELOR'S OFFICE - DAY
The counselor, MS. NORMA PAIGE, lets Bull and Murdoc into her
office and motions for the two to sit.
MURDOC
So, which of these kids are the freaks?
PAIGE
Pardon me?
MURDOC
Who are the freaks. You know, the messed
up ones.
PAIGE
All kids are "messed up", detective. The
only thing that varies is how.
MURDOC
Look, lady, we just want to know which
kid's the perp. That's all.
PAIGE
(sighs)
Reid. Look at Manny Reid.
INT. LUCY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM
Lucy sits on a couch and watches TV. She is in a tank-top,
which shows off her arms and neck, which are COVERED in
BRUISES and CUTS. And even her EYE is BLACK and SWOLLEN like
a balloon, the swelling almost forcing her eyes shut.
The PHONE RINGS.
Lucy answers it.
LUCY
Hello?
STEVEN (O.S.)
(on phone)
Hey, Luce.
LUCY
(smiling)
Hey, Poe.
Lucy mutes the television.
STEVEN (O.S.)
So how are you?
LUCY
I don't know. It's just...its too much
to take in, you know?
STEVEN
Yeah. I know.
(beat)
Have you been taking care of yourself?
LUCY
Yeah, of course.
STEVEN
How's Paul treating you?
LUCY
(nervous at the question)
F-Fine.
STEVEN
Really?
LUCY
(lying)
Yeah. I haven't seen him since...t-t-t
that day.
STEVEN
Think he's back into it?
LUCY
No...
STEVEN
(sighs)
All right.
(beat)
Well, I'm glad you're doing okay.
LUCY
Thanks, Poe. That means a lot.
EXT. MANNY'S HOUSE - FRONT DOOR
Bull and Murdoc knock on the door.
MURDOC
I got a feelin' about this place. Got a
feelin' 'bout this perp.
The door opens and IRA REID, Manny's dad, greets them.
IRA
May I help you?
BULL
I'm detective Bull.
(nodding at Murdoc)
This is detective Murdoc.
IRA
What can I do for you?
BULL
Well...is Manny home, sir?
IRA
Yes, I think so. Would you like to come
in?
INT. MANNY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM
Bull and Murdoc sit across from Ira.
IRA
I'm sorry, I thought he was home.
BULL
That's okay.
(beat)
So, what do you do?
IRA
I own a shop in town.
BULL
You must provide for Manny well.
IRA
I try to.
MURDOC
So, how has Manny been acting recently?
Anything unusual?
Ira STANDS UP.
IRA
What's going on?
BULL
(lying)
We're just trying to eliminate your son
as a suspect. We're on your side.
IRA
(beat)
Okay.
BULL
(beat)
Think we could see his room?
INT. MANNY'S HOUSE - MANNY'S ROOM
The door opens with Bull and Murdoc behind it. The two walk
in, eyes wide open.
BULL
Oh my God.
The room is COVERED in pictures and posters of DEAD BODIES,
with newspaper clippings about bombings posted to the
ceiling.
The walls have RED PAINT spatters reminiscent of the BLOOD on
the walls at the school.
INT. PSYCHOLOGIST'S OFFICE - DUSK
Steven sits in a room FILLED with CHILDREN'S TOYS and GAMES.
A woman in her early 30's sits across from him, dressed in a
professional yet casual manner. She is DR. SHONDRA ADAMS,
Steven's psychiatrist.
SHONDRA
Tell me about the other day.
STEVEN
The shooting?
SHONDRA
Yes.
STEVEN
(shrugs)
I don't know what to say. I didn't see
anything-
SHONDRA
What did you feel?
STEVEN
Nothing. I just ran. I never thought, I
just kept moving.
SHONDRA
What did you think when it finally
weighed in on you what had happened?
STEVEN
I...I thought that other kids could have
been killed.
SHONDRA
You mean more kids, had the shooter not
run out of bullets?
STEVEN
No, I mean...
(beat)
...the shooter could have shot other
kids. Innocent ones. I was glad it was
those three.
SHONDRA
(unsettled)
Did they deserve it?
STEVEN
No, no one deserved it...but they
deserved it the most.
SHONDRA
What did they do?
STEVEN
They bullied kids, they stole, they did
all kinds of things.
SHONDRA
And you're glad they're dead?
STEVEN
I'm glad it was them.
Shondra LOOKS AT STEVEN, not looking at anything else,
keeping her eyes trained on his, trying to read his mind.
SHONDRA
(beat)
How have you been doing in your anxiety?
STEVEN
I haven't done anything recently.
SHONDRA
Didn't we talk about trying to talk to
people? Try starting in a large group?
STEVEN
Yes, but I couldn't...
SHONDRA
(sighs)
We have to start at something simpler, I
suppose.
(beat)
What do you do when you walk?
STEVEN
When I walk? I just look at the ground.
SHONDRA
I want you to look into people's eyes. I
want you to make some contact with at
least one person on the street. Just one
every time you're outside.
STEVEN
Why?
SHONDRA
It'll broaden your reality. It'll help
you get better.
(beat)
You do want to get better, don't you,
Steven?
INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT
Bull and Murdoc sit at their desks, Bull looking through IRA
REID'S FILE. He flips the pages until he STOPS.
BULL
Hey!
Murdoc stands and walks to Bull's desk.
MURDOC
What?
Bull POINTS to a certain part in the file.
BULL
Ira has a gun shop.
INT. STEVEN'S HOUSE - STEVEN'S ROOM - MORNING
Steven SLEEPS with his laptop IN HIS ARMS.
Someone SNEAKS INTO THE ROOM and HEADS TOWARD THE BED, moving
quietly. Then the person SHAKES STEVEN and WAKES HIM UP.
Steven looks at the person and sees that it is Claire.
CLAIRE
(smiling)
Good morning, sleepy head.
Steven, still half-asleep, sits up groggily.
STEVEN
(disoriented)
Huh?
CLAIRE
(smiles)
Come on. Get ready, or else we'll be
late.
STEVEN
For what?
CLAIRE
It's a surprise.
EXT. NOAH'S ARMORY - DAY
Noah's Armory, a gun shop, is IRA REID's gun shop. Bull and
Murdoc stand outside as Ira's car pulls over.
Ira gets out and walks to the door, looking at the
detectives, He gets out his keys and unlocks the doors.
IRA
So what can I do for you today,
detectives?
BULL
We need all the records you have on
Berettas you sold in the past.
IRA
(entering shop)
Okay.
INT. IRA'S OFFICE - DAY
Ira puts a folder of papers on his desk in front of Murdoc.
IRA
I think that's it.
INT. POST OFFICE - DAY
Claire and Steven stand in a line, Claire's hands holding a
BOOK-SIZED PACKAGE. Steven looks at the package with
curiosity.
Claire and Steven are next. They walk to the teller and then
Claire gives him the package.
The teller STAMPS THE PACKAGE.
EXT. POST OFFICE - DAY
Claire and Steven walk to her car.
STEVEN
So what's the surprise?
CLAIRE
(smiling)
That was it.
STEVEN
What?
CLAIRE
You didn't read anything on the package,
did you?
STEVEN
No...
CLAIRE
It was to the Literary Agents of
Washington.
STEVEN
(not understanding)
What?
CLAIRE
It was one of your scripts.
Steven, shocked, sits still in the car as Claire starts it.
CLAIRE (CONT'D)
(concerned)
Are you mad?
STEVEN
(smiles)
No.
(beat)
Thanks, Claire.
EXT. NOAH'S ARMORY - DAY
Bull puts the records in the car as Murdoc talks to Ira.
MURDOC
Think we could get your shipping records,
too?
IRA
Sure. Anything you need to catch that
bastard.
Just then a KID ARRIVES. He is average height, slim, pale,
and has bags under his eyes.
KID
Hey, dad.
IRA
Hey, Manny.
Bull looks at the kid.
BULL
Manny?
MANNY
Yeah. Who are you?
BULL
We're cops.
MANNY
Oh.
(to Ira)
Can I set up shop?
IRA
Sure, son.
Manny goes into the shop.
BULL
So your son works here, huh?
IRA
Yeah.
BULL
Does he have access to the guns?
IRA
Yes. Why?
BULL
(lying)
Oh, nothing. I was just thinking that
maybe he'd remember anyone suspicious.
IRA
Well, I'll ask him.
BULL
Thanks.
EXT. FOOD COURT - DAY
Steven and Claire sit and eat, talking.
CLAIRE
Why do you like movies so much?
STEVEN
Well...I guess they're my escape from
reality.
CLAIRE
Why do you need to escape reality?
STEVEN
Oh, reality is hard for me. Most of my
time is spent alone.
Claire reaches over and TAKES STEVEN'S HAND.
CLAIRE
(smiling)
Not anymore.
Steven SMILES and then his WATCH'S ALARM goes off.
Steven reaches into his pocket and takes out THREE PILL
BOTTLES and sets them on the table.
Steven takes the pills.
CLAIRE (CONT'D)
(looking at pills)
W-What's it like? Depression, I mean.
STEVEN
Mainly it's a loss of motivation. I
usually can't do anything not routine to
me, and there isn't even a reason for it.
Also I have days where I can barely get
out of bed because I think everything I
do is pointless. When I'm at school or
around other people, I get nervous and
can't even speak. In a nutshell, that's
what it's like.
CLAIRE
I-I'm sorry. I never knew it was like
that.
STEVEN
What are you sorry for?
CLAIRE
For not being there. For not being your
sister.
STEVEN
It's okay. You're here now.
CLAIRE
I just wonder if it's good enough.
STEVEN
Always.
CLAIRE
(beat)
So, how's Lucy? She hasn't come over in
a while.
STEVEN
Oh, she has to spend time with-
(with resentment)
-Paul.
CLAIRE
(smiling, reminiscing)
I remember when she would dress like I
did.
STEVEN
She idolized you.
CLAIRE
Yeah. It was like having a little
sister.
STEVEN
You kept us safe. You kept us out of
trouble.
CLAIRE
You guys weren't the trouble-making type.
STEVEN
But we were- are- too trusting.
CLAIRE
Couldn't have been that bad.
STEVEN
I think it was around the time you
started avoiding us that Lucy got
together with...him.
CLAIRE
You really don't like that Paul guy, huh?
STEVEN
Nope. I don't trust him.
INT. LUCY'S HOUSE - LUCY'S ROOM - NIGHT
Lucy lies on her bed, writing in her diary.
The PHONE RINGS. Lucy answers it.
LUCY
Hello?
PAUL (O.S.)
(voice strained)
L-Lucy?
LUCY
Paul? Are you okay?
PAUL
I just n-need to t-talk.
LUCY
Are you on something?
PAUL
(exploding)
WHAT IS THIS?! ARE YOU DOUBTING ME?!
HUH?! After all the shit I went through
for you, you SECOND GUESS me?!
(spits)
If you ask me that again, you little
bitch-
Lucy HANGS UP and CRIES, overwhelmed and terrified out of her
wits.
INT. SHONDRA'S OFFICE - DAY
Steven sits across from Shondra, Steven on a couch and
Shondra in a chair.
SHONDRA
How are things with your grades?
STEVEN
(beat)
Still the same.
SHONDRA
They are still bad?
STEVEN
Yeah.
SHONDRA
You're still not turning in your work?
STEVEN
Yeah.
SHONDRA
But you do the work, right?
STEVEN
(nods)
Yes.
SHONDRA
(sighs)
Why don't you turn in your assignments if
you do them?
STEVEN
I just...don't.
(beat)
I don't know why, there's just always
something that keeps me from doing it.
It's like chains around my ankles.
SHONDRA
What do you feel when you do turn your
work in?
STEVEN
I feel...anxious. I feel tension,
aggravation, stress, everything. It's
like talking in front of class.
SHONDRA
Does the placement of the turn-in box
have anything to do with it?
STEVEN
No. It's at different places in different
classes.
(beat)
I don't know what it is.
SHONDRA
(puzzled)
Hmm.
(beat)
Have the counselors called you in to talk
to you?
STEVEN
They did before the...shooting...but I
don't know if it's still on the schedule
now.
SHONDRA
Hmm.
(beat)
Well, let me know how that turns out.
STEVEN
Okay.
SHONDRA
(beat)
How are the scripts?
STEVEN
Good. I came up with several ideas
today.
SHONDRA
Good, good.
(smiles)
Why do you think movies are so important
to you?
STEVEN
I don't know. I used to think I did, but
I don't think so.
SHONDRA
What did you think?
STEVEN
I thought that maybe I saw movies as
exits. As portals to other worlds, you
know?
SHONDRA
I see.
STEVEN
But now I'm not so sure that's what it
is.
SHONDRA
Do you think that maybe they're windows
for seeing people? For, at some level,
knowing people?
STEVEN
Like, the characters?
SHONDRA
Yes.
STEVEN
(thinks)
I never thought of that.
(beat)
It could be.
INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT
Bull and Murdoc go through the records from Ira's shop until
Murdoc SEES SOMETHING in the records.
MURDOC
Wait a minute...
Murdoc grabs Bull's notes and skims through the papers until
he finds what he's looking for.
MURDOC (CONT'D)
(reading)
We have a winner.
Bull walks to Murdoc.
BULL
What?
MURDOC
There's a missing gun.
INT. NOAH'S ARMORY - DAY
Bull and Murdoc speak over the counter to Ira, who is
stocking the shelves with ammo.
BULL
So, where is it?
IRA
What?
BULL
The missing gun.
IRA
What missing gun?
BULL
(sighs)
The missing Beretta!
IRA
I don't know anything about a missing
Beretta.
MURDOC
Well, at least tell us if you mark your
guns or not.
IRA
Yeah, a chalk mark across the barrel.
INT. STEVEN'S HOUSE - STEVEN'S ROOM - MORNING
Steven SLEEPS on his bed, laptop under an arm and Dirtdevil
under the other.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
Steven WAKES UP.
STEVEN
(half asleep)
I'm coming!
INT. STEVEN'S HOUSE - HALLWAY
Steven follows mom down the hallway, all the while carrying
Dirtdevil in his arms.
Claire enters the hallway from her room in her PJ's.
INT/EXT. CAR - DAY
Steven and Claire sit in the car as mom drives. Steven sits
in back as Claire sits beside mom.
STEVEN (V.O.)
Sometimes I look out the car window and
wonder...
Suddenly a HUGE SWARM of CARS, plentiful like a school of
fish, APPEARS OUT OF NOWHERE, so many cars on the road each
is around less than five feet from the other.
STEVEN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
...why I don't grab the wheel and veer
into the car next to us.
Suddenly Steven BOLTS up and GRABS HOLD of the STEERING WHEEL
and JERKS IT TO THE RIGHT, causing the car to SWERVE INTO the
car NEXT TO THEM and PLOW RIGHT THROUGH IT, a HAIL of TWISTED
METAL and SHATTERED GLASS erupting between the two!
Suddenly everything GOES BACK TO NORMAL.
STEVEN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
But I don't.
It WASN'T REAL!!!
EXT. SCHOOL - CURB
Mom's car PULLS OVER and Steven and Claire get out. Steven
walks to class, Claire going to her friends, pretending not
to know him as usual.
Steven heads for the doors.
CLAIRE (O.S.)
Wait!
Claire runs up to Steven and then WALKS WITH HIM.
CLAIRE (CONT'D)
Hi.
STEVEN
What about your friends?
CLAIRE
You're my friend too.
INT. SCHOOL - HALLWAY
Steven walks down the hallway among hundreds of other
students, all going to their lockers.
LUCY (O.S.)
Hey, Poe.
Steven turns around and sees Lucy standing behind him,
wearing, yet again, a turtleneck, with her facial bruising
fully healed already.
STEVEN
Hey, Luce.
Steven SMILES and then the two HUG.
STEVEN (CONT'D)
I haven't seen you in a while.
LUCY
I haven't seen you.
STEVEN
So...what's new?
LUCY
I haven't done much new. Pretty much
stayed home the whole time.
STEVEN
Does that mean you didn't see Paul much?
LUCY
(going pale)
I...I...
STEVEN
(suddenly enraged at Paul)
What? What happened?
LUCY
I thought he was back on the drugs-
STEVEN
He is?!
LUCY
No, no, he straightened me out. It was
wrong for me to ask him that, after all
he did...
STEVEN (V.O.)
(at his boiling point, voice
trembling)
That bastard. That son of a bitch. He's
back on the drugs. He's back on them and
getting worse.
The BELL RINGS.
LUCY
Well, gotta go. I'll see you at recess,
okay?
STEVEN
Sure.
Lucy then, without thinking, KISSES Steven on the CHEEK. The
two then pause, the silence only heightening the atmosphere
of awkwardness.
Suddenly one breaks the silence.
LUCY
(stammering)
I-I have to get to class.
The two part ways, heading to their second periods.
INT. MATH CLASS
Steven sits at his desk, writing unevenly in his notebook,
face wrinkled with confusion.
STEVEN (V.O.)
A kiss. Who knew something so small
could change so much?
(sighs)
I never came to a conclusion whether I
"liked" Lucy or not.
The BELL RINGS.
INT. SCHOOL - COMPUTER CLASS
Steven sits in his seat in front of a computer, typing some
sort of school assignment.
STEVEN (V.O.)
Sometimes I fantasize about saving the
day, being a hero. I wonder what it
would be like.
Suddenly, a man BURSTS INTO THE ROOM, dressed in a HEAVY
LEATHER JACKET, STEEL-TIPPED BOOTS, with a SPIKED MOHAWK and
CAMOUFLAGE PANTS like those used in the army. The man SMILES
as he pulls out...
...a FUTURISTIC GATLING GUN, the ammo stored in a BACKPACK
strapped to his shoulders. He LAUGHS as he begins to PUMP
OUT rounds too fast to count...
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Chairs, desks, walls and computers get RIPPED TO SHREDS by
the bullets, sending chunks of wall into the air, SPARKS
shooting out from the computers. All the people in the room
DUCK beneath their TABLES when, suddenly, STEVEN stands up
behind the man-
STEVEN (CONT'D)
(voice lower, grittier)
Wanna point that thing at somethin' that
shoots back?
The man TURNS AROUND and FACES STEVEN, who is now dressed in
BLACK JEANS and has a BLACK T-SHIRT tucked in, with DOUBLE
SHOULDER HOLSTERS now applied, TWO COLT .45'S housed within
them along with countless clips of ammo. And in two thigh
holsters are a pair of KNIVES, their size comparable to
RAMBO's.
The man FIRES-
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Steven LEAPS INTO THE AIR, going up higher than humanly
possible, and simultaneously DRAWS HIS PISTOLS and FIRES THEM
at the man!
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
The man gets HIT in the SHOULDER and THIGH, but STILL STANDS,
alive and kicking.
Steven LANDS and looks at the man, who FIRES, hitting the
TABLES and COMPUTERS all around Steven, NOT ABLE TO HIT HIM!
Steven DODGES the bullets and ROLLS across the TOP OF A
TABLE, all the while FIRING AT THE MAN, bullets going in ALL
DIRECTIONS, making holes in everything but the man himself.
The man YELLS.
MAN
FUCK!
Steven falls off the other end of the table and TURNS IT
OVER, making it a SHIELD, providing COVER as he RELOADS-
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
The man RIDDLES the table with BULLETS, splinters flying
EVERYWHERE.
Steven RISES and FIRES BOTH GUNS at the man, hitting him in
the CHEEK and in the SIDE OF HIS STOMACH. The man looks at
his wounds and LAUGHS, not dead yet.
He FIRES HIS GATLING GUN, hitting...a RADIO in the room,
which SWITCHES ON and begins to spout out BLARING HEAVY METAL
MUSIC!!!
The man YELLS a barbaric WAR CRY, trying everything in his
power to hit Steven, who DODGES EACH BULLET with EASE.
Steven SMILES and FIRES WHILE RUNNING from the bullets being
shot at him! He SHOOTS AT THE MAN relentlessly, emptying
BOTH CLIPS in his attempts to kill him.
Steven DIVES to the floor and CROUCHES behind a hard drive
and RELOADS, the man WALKING CLOSER AND CLOSER to him.
MAN (CONT'D)
(voice trembling with anger)
You stupid fuck!
Suddenly something is THROWN OUT from BEHIND THE HARD DRIVE
and goes RIGHT AT THE MAN. It is...
...a FLASH-BANG GRENADE.
MAN (CONT'D)
Shit.
BAM!
The grenade EXPLODES, WHITE LIGHT coming RIGHT OUT OF IT,
BLINDING THE MAN as Steven RISES from behind the hard drive
and FIRES HIS COLTS, hitting the man's GATLING GUN with so
many bullets he SEVERS ITS CONNECTION to the AMMO PACK,
rendering it useless.
MAN (CONT'D)
FUCK!
The man DROPS the gun and backpack as Steven aims his pistols
at the man and PULLS THE TRIGGERS-
CLICK! CLICK!
Empty.
Steven DROPS THE GUNS, frustrated, and CRACKS HIS NECK
MUSCLES as the man reaches from behind his back with both
hands and comes out with...TWO KNIVES!
The man STRIKES A POSE with the daggers and SMILES EVILLY.
Steven DRAWS his TWO KNIVES from their thigh holsters and
TWIRLS THEM like an expert knife thrower with such ease it
would make a gypsy blush.
Steven, too, STRIKES A POSE and SMILES, coaxing the man.
The two STAY POISED for battle and then, as swiftly as the
wind, RUSH toward each other like two trains going head-on at
each other. They CLASH-
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
-and begin one of the SWIFTEST, FASTEST, most ELEGANT knife
fights ever seen! They SLASH and SLICE at each other with
professional skill. SPARKS fly as their knives meet, BRIGHT,
SEARING LIGHT emanating from between the two.
Moving almost inhumanly fast, they FIGHT, their arms and
hands moving faster than the eye can see, their knives and
arms becoming nothing but BLURS, the only clear-cut thing
about the fight being the SHARP "CLANG!"s from their weapons.
Steven FIGHTS without a SWEAT as the man puts in his all just
trying to keep up until-
SWOOSH!
-Steven STABS THE MAN in the STOMACH and AGAIN in the CHEST!
He RETRACTS his knives and SHEATHES THEM, turning to his
peers, now rising from behind the desks, all CLAPPING and
CHEERING with glee-
Suddenly everything GOES BACK TO NORMAL.
It WASN'T REAL!!!
Steven DAYDREAMS as he absentmindedly TYPES AWAY on the
computer.
INT. SCHOOL - ENGLISH CLASS
The english teacher, MS. ROTH, organizes papers on her desk
as Bull and Murdoc stand with tape recorders.
ROTH
The poem book. It was an assignment I
gave the students where they write poems
and bind them into a book.
BULL
What happened with Manny Reid's paper?
ROTH
Manny Reid? His paper was, simply put,
disturbing.
MURDOC
Disturbing how?
ROTH
It had poems of death, suicide, pain,
anything dark. Even demonic.
BULL
Demonic?
ROTH
Yeah.
BULL
Do you think we could have anything of
his? Any of the work?
ROTH
Sure.
She then walks to her file cabinet and takes out a STACK OF
PAPERS around TWO INCHES THICK.
INT. SCHOOL - CAFETERIA - LUNCH
Steven and Claire sit as everyone else stands in line for
lunch.
CLAIRE
That bastard.
STEVEN
That's the understatement of the year.
CLAIRE
Someone needs to get her away from that
druggy.
STEVEN
How? He could be on the football team as
strong as he is.
CLAIRE
I don't know how, but something needs to
be done.
Steven then looks in his notebook, unsure as to what else he
can do.
Claire leans over and looks at what Steven's writing.
CLAIRE (CONT'D)
What's that?
STEVEN
My next script.
CLAIRE
(reads paper)
What does this mean?
STEVEN
What?
CLAIRE
(reading)
"A Moment of Eternity."
STEVEN
Oh, that. It means that in everyone's
life, there is a moment, one great moment
where they experience such...extreme,
pure emotion that time practically stands
still forever, and the main character is
looking for that moment.
CLAIRE
(amused)
Deep.
INT. SCHOOL - HALLWAY
A group of kids converse softly, the majority of the kids
being on the football team.
KID #1
You hear who the shooter was?
KID #2
Who?
KID #1
Reid.
KID #2
Manny Reid? The skinny fuck?
KID #1
Yeah.
Just then MANNY walks by, looking at them nervously.
Kid #1 SMILES and WALKS TO HIM.
KID #1 (CONT'D)
Hey, Manny.
MANNY
H-Hey.
Kid #1 suddenly SHOVES Manny against a locker and PINS HIM
UP, his feet a YARD off the floor!
Kid #1 KNEES Manny-
INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT
Bull and Murdoc read Manny's poetry.
MURDOC
Listen to this, "Life, the endless
charade, made in flesh, finished in
blood, what divine evil, in all its
sinuosity, chose me? Onto the pigs it
smiles with eyes of insult and pain, of
which I am made."
BULL
Kids are at hard times at sixteen.
MURDOC
Yeah. Sure. "Popularity and all its
lapdogs, the root of all humiliation, can
only be destroyed with the flaming sword
of death."
INT. TALK SHOW STUDIO
JAKE, the fat freckled kid, TALKS to two people, both TALK
SHOW HOSTS. One is an older man, white hair abundant, the
other host a woman in her mid-thirties.
WOMAN
So, Jake, what have you done since the
shooting?
JAKE
I've been getting into shape. I've
joined weight loss programs and also got
into exercise classes.
MAN
How much weight have you lost?
JAKE
None yet, I've just joined them, so...I
hope I lose a lot.
The woman looks STRAIGHT INTO the CAMERA.
WOMAN
Stay tuned for more of Jake's heartfelt,
inspirational true story after this
commercial break. Brought to you by-
INT. SCHOOL - SCIENCE CLASS - RAINING
Steven and Lucy sit at their table, talking and doing work,
as A MAN drenched with rain enters the room and TALKS
INAUDIBLY to the teacher.
The two talk and then the wet man POINTS to STEVEN. The
teacher then motions for him to come to the front.
STEVEN stands, confused, with his things and walks toward the
wet man.
CUT TO:
I/E. CAR - STREET - RAINING/SCHOOL - SCIENCE CLASS - RAINING
- LIGHTNING STRIKES as a car drives through the rain. The
car's wheels spray mist into the air, the road COATED WITH
WATER.
Driving the car is MOM.
- STEVEN gets closer to the man...
- MOM SQUINTS to see through the rain, her windshield wipers
at their highest speed.
The car keeps steady, but is BARELY in the LANE.
- STEVEN gets closer...
- ON THE SAME STREET AS MOM is a MAN standing next to a
STALLED CAR which is in the MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.
- STEVEN, in the hallway, reaches the man...
- MOM drives, the rain creating a fog-like image where
nothing can be discernible from the other.
Then, out of nowhere, the MAN and the STALLED CAR appear
RIGHT IN FRONT of mom's CAR-
IN SLO-MO:
Mom GASPS and BRAKES, but the tires SLIP ON THE ROAD and,
finally, the front of mom's car SLAMS into the RIGHT-CORNER
BUMPER of the STALLED CAR, sending mom's car into a SPIN
until it eventually TIPS OVER and BARREL ROLLS for FIFTY FEET
until it SLAMS into a TREE OFF THE ROAD!!!
INT. SCHOOL - HALLWAY - RAINING
Steven looks at the man and then CLAIRE, crying, RUNS to
Steven and HUGS HUM, sobbing uncontrollably.
STEVEN (V.O.)
There are two moments of eternity. One
of sorrow, and one of joy. You only have
one of each in your lifetime.
(beat)
Now I have to experience joy.
INT. HOSPITAL - HOSPITAL ROOM - DUSK
Steven and Claire sit by MOM, bandaged and on a respirator,
who is lying on a hospital bed, unconscious.
Claire SNIFFLES and STANDS.
CLAIRE
(voice shaky)
We have to go now, Steven.
Steven stands and grabs his bag, but before leaving he LEANS
OVER and KISSES mom on the forehead.
INT. HOSPITAL - HALLWAY
Steven and Claire walk to LUCY and her MOM, and they head for
the exit.
LUCY'S MOM
(soothingly)
You two are going to stay with us as your
mom gets better, okay?
CLAIRE
Okay.
INT. LUCY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Claire lies on the couch, asleep.
INT. LUCY'S HOUSE - LUCY'S ROOM - NIGHT
Lucy lies on her bed while Steven lies on the floor in a
sleeping bag. The lights are off and the rain continues to
pour, hitting the roof, making a loud racket akin to
unrelenting gunfire.
STEVEN'S POV:
Lucy looks down at Steven.
LUCY
(quietly, stuttering)
Don't you c-c-c-c-cry?
STEVEN
Why do you ask?
LUCY
You haven't cried today. I wouldn't be
able to stop.
STEVEN
I can't cry.
LUCY
Yes you can.
STEVEN
Well, yes, I can, but I can't, you know?
LUCY
Why?
STEVEN
I don't know.
LUCY
Come on. Tell me the truth. Why don't
you cry?
STEVEN
(sighs)
Okay.
(beat)
I can't...because it feels wrong.
LUCY
How? Crying helps ease the pain.
STEVEN
That's just it. Then I would feel
guilty.
LUCY
For what?
STEVEN
For not hurting while mom...
(sighs)
I just can't do it.
LUCY
(beat)
It's okay.
Lucy then gets off the bed and lies next to Steven, her arm
across his chest.
LUCY (CONT'D)
It's okay.
Steven then, slow yet gradually increasing, CRIES, not making
any sound. He is quiet, but he is crying. Steven then HUGS
Lucy, Lucy stroking his hair, trying to comfort him.
STEVEN (V.O.)
I cried.
(beat)
I cried forever.
BAM!
LIGHTNING strikes.
STEVEN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
For me, everything that happened, all
that had been done just...disappeared,
even for the slightest moment, and I was
free.
INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - LIEUTENANT'S OFFICE
Lieutenant EMILIA GERSHON stands next to Bull and Murdoc as A
MAN enters. The man is JOHN HALSTROM, Mayor Halstrom.
Gershon stands and shakes his hand.
GERSHON
Come in, your honor.
(motioning at a chair)
You can sit if you'd like.
HALSTROM
No, I won't take long.
(sighs)
What new evidence have you uncovered?
GERSHON
None as of yet, sir.
HALSTROM
NONE?!
GERSHON
If you'll let us explain-
Halstrom SLAMS his HAND on Gershon's desk!
HALSTROM
I don't want to hear half-assed excuses!
This circus you call an investigation is
among the SLOPPIEST I've EVER SEEN!!
What are you doing when I'm gone?
Sitting on your asses, that's what!
(clears throat)
You had better make some major
breakthroughs, or by God I swear on
David's grave I will have you DIRECTING
TRAFFIC before you know what's what!
GERSHON
(holding back her anger)
Yes, sir.
HALSTROM
(leaving)
Now GET MOVING!
Halstrom SLAMS the door shut.
Gershon turns to Bull and Murdoc, face red.
GERSHON
Now you listen to me. You GET SOMETHING.
Anything.
BULL
Lieutenant-
GERSHON
This Manny Reid, is he your only suspect?
BULL
Yeah.
(sighs)
The only.
GERSHON
What do you have?
BULL
Circumstantial stuff. Character
descriptions, mostly.
GERSHON
The gun?
BULL
Still looking.
GERSHON
Are you sure he did it?
MURDOC
Lieutenant, this kid DID IT. He is sick,
he TALKED ABOUT killing students, he DID
IT! I know it.
GERSHON
Then get a warrant FAST because,
detectives-
(gritting teeth)
-I am not going through that again. Next
time I throw your asses to the wolves.
INT. SHONDRA'S OFFICE - DUSK
Steven sits on the couch across from Shondra, TAPE RECORDER
in her hand.
STEVEN
I don't know how I feel.
SHONDRA
The police found the shooter. Doesn't
that make you at least a little relieved?
STEVEN
I'd like to say yes, but...
Shondra SIGHS.
SHONDRA
(beat)
How are things with Lucy?
STEVEN
Good. Things are good.
SHONDRA
You're living with her for now, aren't
you?
STEVEN
Yeah.
SHONDRA
Is that stressful for you? Is it hard to
deal with?
STEVEN
No, I'm not anxious when I'm around her.
(beat, smiles)
She calms me. She makes me happy.
EXT. MANNY'S HOUSE - DUSK
Bull and Murdoc knock on the door, an ARMY of men in the CSU
behind them.
Ira opens the door, confused.
IRA
What...
MURDOC
We have a warrant to search the premises
as well as take your son into custody.
IRA
This is INSANE!
Bull enters and goes up the stairs to Manny's room.
INT. MANNY'S HOUSE - MANNY'S ROOM
Bull opens the door and then puts on a LATEX GLOVE.
BULL
(cracking knuckles)
Let's go.
Bull searches through EVERYTHING in the room, but finds
nothing. He gets up and starts to leave, but STOPS.
He then FEELS THE WALL, which is PAPERED with violent media.
Bull feels all around until he STOPS at ONE SPOT. He TRACES
a CREASE and then FINDS and OPENS a HIDDEN DOOR!
Bull looks at the HIDDEN ROOM, which has KNIVES and BLACK
CLOTHES hanging from the ceiling.
BULL (CONT'D)
Jackpot.
(to CSU team)
IN HERE!
INT. MANNY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM
Bull and Murdoc come down the stairs with everything in
plastic bags and boxes, in one a 9MM BERETTA.
MANNY AND IRA are in the living room, nervous.
BULL approaches Manny and then PULLS HIM to his FEET.
BULL
Manny Reid, you are under arrest for the
murders of Luke Campbell, Janet LePole
and David Halstrom. You have the right
to remain silent. Anything you say can
and will be used against you in the court
of law. You have the right to an
attorney. If you cannot afford an
attorney one will be provided for you by
the court.
Bull SNAPS handcuffs on Manny.
BULL (CONT'D)
Do you understand the rights I've read?
MANNY
Yes.
EXT. MANNY'S HOUSE - NIGHT
Bull, Murdoc and Manny leave the house and enter a HUGE MOB
throwing FOOD and TRASH at Manny.
INT. VIEWING ROOM
The viewing room, the room in which the people watch the
interrogation, houses Halstrom and Gershon.
GERSHON
The kid won't budge.
HALSTROM
Keep going.
GERSHON
They've been in there for TWELVE HOURS!
The kid would've cracked by now.
HALSTROM
Then TURN THE FUCKIN' HEAT UP!!!
GERSHON
We've done everything we can.
(beat)
Legally.
HALSTROM
Then break some laws!
GERSHON
I can't expose my detectives to that kind
of danger. They could lose their jobs.
HALSTROM
No one will know. I'll make sure of it.
GERSHON
(beat)
Then try to clear out the floor. And
don't come to me, I'll come to you.
Halstrom leaves.
Gershon TAPS on the viewing glass and Bull and Murdoc stop
interrogating and enter the room.
Gershon gives Bull a CLIP of bullets.
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM
Bull and Murdoc re-enter. Bull sits across from Manny,
grabbing the Beretta in his holster. He LOADS IT and then
slides some pictures over to Manny.
The pictures are AUTOPSY PHOTOS.
Once realizing what the photos are, Manny starts to SWEAT
EVEN MORE.
MANNY
(pushing photos away)
Oh, fuck!
BULL
Yeah. Oh fuck.
Bull POINTS at one picture.
BULL (CONT'D)
Janet LePole.
Bull stands.
BULL (CONT'D)
(re: second picture)
Luke Campbell.
Bull kneels, now over Manny's shoulder.
BULL (CONT'D)
(re: last picture)
David Halstrom.
(beat)
You killed them, Manny.
MANNY
No...
BULL
Yes. You aimed at their heads and pulled
the trigger! Killers equate killing to
ejaculation. Did it feel good when you
fired? Did it feel good when you took
life? DID IT?!
MANNY
I didn't-
BULL
You stole the gun-
MANNY
No...
BULL
-you ducked out of school-
MANNY
Stop...
BULL
(raising Beretta, pointing it
at the ceiling)
-and you PULLED THE FUCKING TRIGGER!
BAM!
Bull FIRES THE GUN!!
BULL (CONT'D)
Did they pay?!
BAM!
BULL (CONT'D)
They teased you-
BAM!
BULL (CONT'D)
-they hit you-
BAM!
BULL (CONT'D)
-they killed you-
BAM!
BULL (CONT'D)
-so YOU killed THEM!!!
BAM!
Bull RELOADS-
MANNY
OKAY! OKAY!
Bull drops the gun on the table.
MANNY (CONT'D)
(crying)
I did it! I did it!
BULL
That'll do, pig, that'll do.
INT. LUCY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Lucy and her mom enter, Steven and Claire watching TV.
LUCY'S MOM
We got your guys' mail.
CLAIRE
Thanks.
On the TV is MANNY, being escorted into a courtroom.
Claire looks through the mail and then hands Steven a letter.
CLAIRE (CONT'D)
For you.
Steven takes the letter and reads it.
STEVEN (V.O.)
Dear Mr. Richards, we regret to inform
you that we will not represent you. Your
script, though well-crafted, is not what
we're looking for at the moment.
Steven SIGHS and then puts the letter away. He then returns
to watching the TV.
STEVEN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
I'm not mad. I knew this script wouldn't
make it. But "A Moment of Eternity"
will.
(beat)
Act two is to show the main character
coming against obstacles keeping him from
reaching his goal.
LUCY'S MOM
Oh my God.
Steven watches the TV.
REPORTER (TV)
We have just gotten word that at Manny
Reid's hearing, the judge RELEASED Reid
on his own reconnaissance. This-This is
just an outrage...
INT. COURTROOM - DAY
Manny sits in the defendant's chair as the defense, a lawyer
by the name of CHRIS LARSON, makes its opening statement.
LARSON
(to jury)
I know how hard it is to be in a jury.
You can't go to work, you have to sit in
a stuffy old courthouse for practically
the entire day, it's terrible. But,
today, you are all that stands between my
client and a life in prison or, possibly,
death.
(sighs)
I will tell you right now that throughout
this trial, the prosecution may show you
evidence seemingly incriminating but I
assure you not one thing will link my
client to the shooting, not one. That's
because my client is innocent.
INT. SCHOOL - HALLWAY
Manny walks down the hallway, head down.
The students, normally loud and obscene, are quiet and all
eye Manny with fear and anger.
Manny, even more terrified than before, RUNS TO CLASS.
INT. SCHOOL- COUNSELOR'S OFFICE- DAY
Steven sits in the office along with MS. ROTH, the counselor
named MR. SPALDING, a fat, ugly man with boils all over his
face, and the principal MR. DAVIES, a shapely, strong,
handsome man...once.
ROTH
We are here, Steven, to help you better
feel comfortable with your teachers. To
assist you in doing the work we all know
you are capable of doing.
STEVEN
(robotically)
Okay.
SPALDING
I think the main issue here, Steven, is
the things you do in class.
STEVEN
(not understanding)
Could you clarify?
SPALDING
I mean your doing your notebooks instead
of your work.
STEVEN
I don't-
DAVIES
Why don't you do your work, Steven?
STEVEN
I do my work, I just-
DAVIES
Well, if you do your work, it sure isn't
getting to the teachers.
STEVEN
That's what I've been trying to say. I'm
not ignoring the work, I just...can't
turn it in.
DAVIES
I don't understand.
ROTH
I do.
(beat)
You're afraid, aren't you? You're afraid
to let other people grade your work.
STEVEN
No-
ROTH
(to Davies)
I've seen this in countless other
students, they all are just too nervous
to come up to the front of the class and
let me read their work.
SPALDING
You know, maybe this whole situation can
be fixed.
STEVEN
But it's not that I'm afraid of
judgement, it's...
(beat)
...I don't know what, exactly, it is. I'm
sorry.
DAVIES
It has to be something.
(beat)
Maybe if you do the work instead of doing
your notebooks-
STEVEN
I do the work-
ROTH
(ignoring Steven)
What can we do about these notebooks?
They obviously are more important to him
than the work.
STEVEN
No, that's not-
SPALDING
(ignoring Steven)
What about banning the notebooks?
STEVEN
(going pale)
But-
DAVIES
(ignoring Steven)
That could actually work...
STEVEN
No-
ROTH
(ignoring Steven)
Yeah. It just might.
DAVIES
Okay. It's settled then, yes?
Steven sits in his chair, impotent, castrated, powerless, at
the mercy of the people now towering above him.
STEVEN (V.O.)
Oh my God.
(beat)
Ban my notebooks?
(beat)
What happens when you chop off the hands
of a painter? What happens when you steal
the pen from the writer?
(beat)
What happens when you deny a child his
voice?
INT. LUCY'S HOUSE - LUCY'S ROOM - NIGHT
Steven lies on his sleeping bag as Lucy lies on her bed.
Lucy and Steven both look at the ceiling, which has an
infinite number of stars painted on it.
LUCY
What did you want to be when you grow up?
STEVEN
A writer.
LUCY
I mean when you were a kid. You never
told me.
STEVEN
Back then, I wanted to be an actor.
LUCY
An actor?
STEVEN
Yeah.
LUCY
(stuttering)
He who can't even speak in f-f-f-f-front
of the class?
STEVEN
You know-
LUCY
I know. You get nervous. You're shy.
STEVEN
Understatement of the century.
LUCY
True.
STEVEN
(beat)
What about you?
LUCY
What did I want to be?
STEVEN
Sure.
LUCY
(smiling)
I wanted to be an astronomer.
STEVEN
Why not an astronaut?
LUCY
What? I'm more afraid of heights than
you!
STEVEN
(beat)
So, why an astronomer?
LUCY
I don't know...I guess it's because...
STEVEN
What?
LUCY
I want to be part of something big,
something important, but I don't want to
be known.
STEVEN
I kind-of get it.
LUCY
All these astronauts that go into
space...they always get famous. I don't.
STEVEN
Now I get it.
(beat, sighs)
They took my notebooks away.
LUCY
(not understanding)
What?
STEVEN
The teachers. They said I'm not allowed
to work on them anymore.
Lucy SHAKES HER HEAD, pissed.
LUCY
Idiots.
STEVEN
They think that if I don't do my
notebooks I will do my work.
LUCY
But you do your work. You just don't turn
it in.
STEVEN
Exactly, that's what I've said, but they
wouldn't listen.
LUCY
(beat)
Don't worry. You'll find a way.
Just then, Steven's WATCH ALARM goes off.
STEVEN
Hold on.
Steven gets up and leaves, Lucy looking on, confused.
She gets up and follows him.
INT. LUCY'S HOUSE - BATHROOM
Steven, with a glass of water, takes his pills. Unknown to
him, Lucy watches, HIDING AT THE DOOR.
INT. LUCY'S HOUSE - LUCY'S ROOM - NIGHT
Steven comes back and lies down, Lucy already back in bed.
LUCY
(beat, stuttering)
What are they f-f-f-for?
STEVEN
The pills?
LUCY
Yeah. I never knew you took pills.
STEVEN
They're for depression.
LUCY
Depression?
STEVEN
Depression and social anxiety disorder.
(beat)
That's why I'm shy around people.
LUCY
How long...
STEVEN
My whole life.
LUCY
I-I'm sorry.
STEVEN
It's okay.
LUCY
(beat)
Why didn't you tell me?
STEVEN
I was...I was afraid.
LUCY
I wouldn't have teased you-
STEVEN
No, it's not that.
LUCY
Then what?
STEVEN
I was...
(sighs)
I was afraid you wouldn't care.
LUCY
What? How could you think that? You're
my best friend.
(beat)
I thought you knew that.
STEVEN
I do. Just like you know that you're my
best friend.
LUCY
And best friends aren't supposed to hide
things from each other.
STEVEN
I won't. Not again.
(beat)
So, we okay?
LUCY
We're okay.
Lucy gets out of her bed and HUGS Steven tightly.
Steven closes his eyes, hugging back, in peace, until he sees
something or, rather, feels something. His hand is on Lucy's
shoulder, feeling an obvious LUMP.
Lucy realizes Steven's found the bruise and quickly shies
away, keeping him from figuring it out.
Steven looks at Lucy, huddling by herself, frightened, and
slowly reaches out and moves her collar to the side to reveal
her shoulder, which has a HUGE WELT and is ALL BLACK!
Steven lets out a sad, shocked, guilty sigh, not able to
forgive himself for letting it go on for this long.
STEVEN
(sadly)
How bad is it?
LUCY
(trying to cover up one last
time)
I slipped-
STEVEN
What did he do to you?
LUCY
(beat, stuttering, tears
forming)
He h-h-h-hit me...
STEVEN
On the shoulder?
LUCY
(stuttering)
...w-w-w-with a b-belt.
STEVEN
(not able to hear much more)
That's all he did, right?
LUCY
(almost inaudible)
H-He also...
Lucy LIFTS HER SHIRT over her stomach to reveal SCARS and
BRUISES, some new, some old. There are scars from cuts, burn
marks from cigarettes, and other scars from what no one can
tell.
Steven SNIFFLES, horrified at all the pain Lucy's gone
through.
Steven then HUGS Lucy, holding her tight, keeping her safe
for as long as he can.
STEVEN
(stroking her hair)
It's gonna be okay...
INT. LUCY'S HOUSE - LUCY'S ROOM - NIGHT
Steven sleeps, his notebook by his side, as Lucy lies awake.
She looks around and then grabs a flashlight.
Lucy rolls over and grabs Steven's notebook and FLIPS THROUGH
IT, shining her flashlight on the pages.
STEVEN (V.O.)
People you base characters on can tell.
Lucy then reads a page that says, "Outline o/A Moment of
Eternity, " and then reads on, until she sees what Steven is
saying.
STEVEN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
The two main characters are best friends.
Lucy reads on, eyes gradually widening.
STEVEN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
They are oblivious to the feelings they
have for each other, then finally take
the first step.
Lucy stops reading, closes the notebook and puts it back next
to Steven, and then goes to sleep peacefully.
STEVEN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
(surprised)
She liked it!
INT. LUCY'S HOUSE - LUCY'S ROOM - MORNING
Steven wakes up, yawning.
LUCY
'Morning, Poe.
Steven turns and sees Lucy, lying on her bed, awake.
STEVEN
(clears throat)
Good morning, Luce.
(beat)
How are you?
LUCY
Better.
Lucy puts her hand on Steven's shoulder.
LUCY (CONT'D)
Thanks, Steven.
STEVEN
For what?
LUCY
For last night.
STEVEN
Just promise not to let anyone treat you
like that ever again.
LUCY
I won't.
Steven SMILES.
STEVEN
Well, what next?
LUCY
I don't know...
(beat)
...why don't we just agree to figure this
out later? I don't think I can handle
talking to Paul right now...
STEVEN
Sure. We make the next step whenever
you're ready.
(gives a relieved sigh)
I'm just glad it's over.
LUCY
Me, too.
(beat)
You're writing a new script, right?
STEVEN
Yeah. Why?
LUCY
"A Moment of Eternity?"
STEVEN
Yeah.
LUCY
Do you think, that when you finish it,
you could give me a copy?
STEVEN
Sure.
(beat)
What's the sudden interest in "A Moment
of Eternity?"
Steven sits up.
LUCY
(stuttering)
I just want to read it. I l-l-l-like
your stories.
STEVEN
The fantastical ones. This one is what
you would call a "boring story."
LUCY
Come on. Please?
STEVEN
Okay, okay.
(beat)
I wrote it for you anyway.
LUCY
(a little surprised)
What?
STEVEN
Yeah. You've always asked me to do a
love story so...that's what I'm doing.
LUCY
Oh.
(beat)
So how far in are you?
STEVEN
Almost done with act three. One-hundred
and thirteen pages in.
LUCY
I still don't understand how you can
write so much. I have trouble writing
page-long stories for school.
STEVEN
Just write long dialogue scenes.
LUCY
How?
STEVEN
Just imagine what you'd say in a
conversation.
LUCY
Cool.
STEVEN
And there is one more thing.
LUCY
What?
STEVEN
You need to love the story.
LUCY
I don't understand...
STEVEN
You need to love the story. You need to
want to see it finished with a passion.
If you don't care about the story, you
can't do it justice.
INT. COURTROOM - DAY
The prosecutor stands by the jury as Ms. Roth sits in the
witness stand.
SCOTT
Has the defendant written anything in
your class that led you to believe he was
the shooter?
ROTH
Yes.
SCOTT
Could you give us an example?
ROTH
I can't remember anything off hand-
SCOTT
Well, that's okay because we have some of
his writings right here with us.
Scott walks to the prosecution's desk and opens Manny's poem
book.
SCOTT (CONT'D)
(reading)
"A minute of time, in all its length, is
but a heartbeat when slaying the
disgusting pigs in all it's glory." Do
you remember this?
ROTH
Yes, I do.
SCOTT
Is this the only passage with such
violent content?
ROTH
No.
SCOTT
Was there another section?
ROTH
The whole book was like that. All
Manny's work was like that.
SCOTT
(to jury)
The whole book. All his work.
(to Roth)
Thank you.
(to judge)
Nothing further.
Scott sits as Larson approaches Roth.
LARSON
Did my client ever say he would kill
three teenagers in his poems?
ROTH
It was all metaphorical-
LARSON
Yes or no, please.
ROTH
(hesitating)
No.
LARSON
Did you ever have any other students that
wrote so graphically?
ROTH
(sighs)
Yes.
LARSON
Did this person go on a shooting rampage?
ROTH
No.
LARSON
What happened to this person?
ROTH
She became a doctor.
LARSON
(walking back to desk)
Nothing further.
JUDGE
The witness is excused.
INT. LUCY'S HOUSE - LUCY'S ROOM - NIGHT
Steven enters the room with a DUFFEL BAG. He sets it down as
Lucy, lying on her bed, looks on. Steven opens the bag and
takes out DIRTDEVIL, and then sits.
Lucy PETS Dirtdevil on the head.
LUCY
Hi, Dirtdevil.
She then KISSES Dirtdevil on the forehead.
LUCY (CONT'D)
(stuttering)
I m-m-m-missed him.
STEVEN
Me, too.
Steven then reaches into his duffel bag and takes out...his
laptop, and then sets it up.
LUCY
(seeing the laptop)
You can set it up here.
Lucy points out a large leather chest at the foot of her bed,
right next to a socket.
Steven puts the computer there.
LUCY (CONT'D)
So, what movies did you bring? I know
you brought movies.
STEVEN
(thinking)
There's T-2, Spy Game, Will Hunting, 3000
Miles to Graceland, Brazil: both
versions, Powder and A Perfect World.
LUCY
Hmm...I usually would lean towards Damon,
but this time I think it'll be...A
Perfect World.
STEVEN
A Perfect World it is.
Steven takes out the DVD from the bag and then pops it into
the computer. He then rests his head on the bed, watching
the screen, until Lucy sees.
LUCY
Come on.
Lucy then PATS the empty space on the bed beside her,
motioning for Steven to lie with her.
Which he does.
LUCY (CONT'D)
(beat)
Are you uncomfortable or something?
STEVEN
What?
LUCY
Just now, when you didn't lie with me.
Were you uncomfortable or something?
STEVEN
No, I just...I don't know.
(beat)
It's just an aspect of my depression.
LUCY
How?
STEVEN
When I'm unsure as to how you're going to
react to something, I, well, don't do it.
LUCY
What I want to know is was there ever a
time when you did know how I was going to
react?
STEVEN
I don't think so.
LUCY
That's what I thought.
RING! RING! RING!
The phone RINGS, neither Steven or Lucy answering it, until
the ANSWERING MACHINE kicks in.
ANSWERING MACHINE
Please leave a message after the tone.
The tone rings out.
PAUL (O.S.)
(on phone)
Lucy, pick up this GOD DAMN phone RIGHT
NOW!! You keep this ignorin' me shit up
and you're in for a HELL of a-
BEEP!
ANSWERING MACHINE
Message timed out.
Lucy looks at the machine, face frozen in terror.
CUT TO:
EXT. PAUL'S HOUSE - DAY
STEVEN knocks on PAUL'S DOOR, wearing a TRENCH COAT.
FOOTSTEPS grow closer as PAUL OPENS THE DOOR, dressed in
casual jeans and a sweater.
PAUL
(irritated)
What the fuck do you want?
Steven SMILES and pulls out...
...a PISTOL?!
Paul doesn't even have the time to show shock and fear on his
face before Steven-
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
-FIRES and EMPTIES THE ENTIRE CLIP into Paul's now-mutilated
corpse, the many bullet holes making him much akin to swiss
cheese.
Steven SMILES-
CUT TO:
INT. LUCY'S HOUSE - LUCY'S ROOM - NIGHT
Steven HOLDS Lucy, the answering machine shutting off.
It WASN'T REAL!!!
INT. COURTROOM - DAY
Bull sits in the witness stand as Scott stands and approaches
the jury.
SCOTT
What do you do for a living?
BULL
I'm a homicide detective.
SCOTT
Were you assigned to this case?
BULL
Yes.
SCOTT
What did you discover about the
defendant's whereabouts?
BULL
He wasn't counted present at the time of
the shooting.
SCOTT
Which gun was used in the shooting?
BULL
A 9mm Beretta.
SCOTT
The same make and model as the gun stolen
at Noah's Armory, yes?
BULL
Yes.
SCOTT
The gun shop in which the defendant
worked?
BULL
Correct.
SCOTT
Did you recover the weapon?
BULL
We believe so.
SCOTT
(walking to seat)
Nothing further.
Larson stands.
LARSON
You "believe so."
BULL
Yes.
LARSON
Aren't you sure?
BULL
The barrel was stripped. We couldn't do
any firing tests.
LARSON
And the serial number?
BULL
The serial number was filed off.
LARSON
So what led you to believe that the gun
was the one used in the shooting?
BULL
It was found in the defendant's home.
LARSON
If it were found in my client's home, how
can the gun not have my client's
fingerprints?
BULL
The shooter wore gloves.
LARSON
(beat)
How do you feel about my client?
Scott stands.
SCOTT
Objection! What relevance does this have
with the issue at hand?!
JUDGE
I'll allow it, subject to connection.
(looking at Bull)
The witness may answer.
BULL
My feelings about suspects don't
interfere in my work-
LARSON
But that was not my question. What did
you think about my client?
BULL
(sighs, giving up)
I thought he might have did it.
LARSON
What would you think, emotionally, about
a school shooter?
BULL
I'd hate him.
LARSON
Do you "hate" my client?
BULL
No.
LARSON
Why? You said you'd hate a school
shooter and you also said you knew my
client did it! So why?!
BULL
I wasn't sure.
LARSON
Because you didn't have any physical
witnesses? Because you didn't have any
evidence?
BULL
Yeah.
INT. SHONDRA'S OFFICE- DUSK
Steven sits across from Shondra.
STEVEN
I finally had that meeting with the
school.
SHONDRA
What did they say?
STEVEN
(beat)
They banned me from working on my
scripts.
SHONDRA
(shocked)
What?
STEVEN
They said I'm not allowed to work on them
on school grounds.
SHONDRA
(shakes head)
What are you going to do?
STEVEN
I don't know.
SHONDRA
(beat)
I'll call the school and see if I can
convince them to let you work on your
scripts. I'm not promising anything, but
I'll try my best.
STEVEN
Thanks.
INT. FANCY RESTAURANT - DAY
The restaurant, much like many five-star French eateries, has
EVERY TABLE OCCUPIED, one with JAKE and a FEMALE WOMAN with a
TAPE RECORDER. Jake LOOKS THE SAME.
WOMAN
So, Jake, what are you going to do next?
You already inspired us all after your
remarkable weight loss after the tragedy.
JAKE
I intend to go on with my life and attend
fund raisers for abused children. I
think my inspirational story can help
many onto the road to recovery.
WOMAN
What do you think about this Manny Reid?
JAKE
I think he is a coward. If he were here
right now I'd personally beat him down.
Only cowards resort to violence. Manny
Reid is nothing.
WOMAN
He may be innocent, you know.
JAKE
He is guilty. He did it. And he is a
pathetic excuse for a person.
INT. LUCY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM
Steven TYPES on his computer: "FADE TO BLACK."
STEVEN (V.O.)
Most people hate editing their work, but
I love it. It's shaping your masterpiece
after the mold. It's a wonderful
feeling.
(sighs)
The hard part is over.
Steven looks over at Lucy, sleeping on her bed with Dirtdevil
in her arms.
STEVEN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
Now on it's just milk and honey.
Then Lucy's mom BURSTS into the room.
LUCY'S MOM
The hospital called! Something's
happening!
INT. HOSPITAL - HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT
Steven and Claire sit by mom, who is AWAKE.
STEVEN
We missed you.
MOM
But I made it, so it's going to be okay.
STEVEN
Are you going to be released soon?
MOM
They want me to stay for another month or
so, but it's all right. You're going to
stay over at Lucy's until then.
Just then the DOCTOR enters.
DOCTOR
Sorry, but visiting hours just ended.
The doctor leaves.
MOM
Well then, give me a kiss.
Steven kisses mom, then steps aside as Claire does so too.
MOM (CONT'D)
You two be good, okay?
STEVEN AND CLAIRE
Okay.
The two then leave.
INT. LUCY'S HOUSE - BATHROOM
Lucy stands in front of the mirror with a tank-top on,
looking at her reflection, covering her bruises with her
hands, shame in her eyes.
INT. LUCY'S HOUSE - LUCY'S ROOM - NIGHT
Steven is PRINTING OUT his FINAL DRAFT, Lucy sitting on her
bed, watching SPEED.
Steven FINISHES and puts the TITLE PAGE on top. It says, "A
Moment of Eternity- By Steven Richards."
Steven looks at it and SMILES.
Lucy looks at the script.
LUCY
(excited, stuttering)
Is t-t-t-t-that it?!
STEVEN
Yep. And...
Steven PUNCHES HOLES in the sides and the places it into a
binder, and then hands it to Lucy.
STEVEN (CONT'D)
...this is for you.
LUCY
Really?
STEVEN
You said you wanted to read it, so...
Lucy KISSES Steven on the CHEEK.
LUCY
Thanks, Poe.
STEVEN
'Welcome, Luce.
INT. LUCY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM
Lucy sits on the sofa in front of the television and stares
at it blankly, her mind elsewhere...
CLAIRE (O.S.)
Hey, Luce.
Claire walks by, sitting beside Lucy on the sofa. She LOOKS
AT LUCY, seeing how much she's grown.
Lucy looks at Claire, eyes suddenly filling back with life.
LUCY
Hey, Claire.
CLAIRE
It's been a while since we just...talked,
hasn't it?
LUCY
I guess so, yeah.
(beat)
So what do we talk about?
CLAIRE
Well, I wanted to ask you when you were
going to finally start this thing with
Steven. It's been, what, a month now?
Two?
LUCY
Since what?
CLAIRE
Come on, you know. He told me about the
kiss.
LUCY
(blushing)
I don't know what I was thinking...
CLAIRE
Well, what's done is done. Now you need
to know where you want to go from here.
LUCY
I know where I want to go, I just...I
don't know how to talk to him.
CLAIRE
Just tell him. There isn't any other
way. You just 'fess up, simple as that.
LUCY
But...did you ever have someone like
Steven?
CLAIRE
Yeah. Once.
(beat)
I just told him at the sophomore banquet.
Well, actually, I didn't say anything...
(beat, jokingly)
...sitting up, anyway.
The two LAUGH happily until Claire SEES SOMETHING...
She BRUSHES LUCY'S HAIR ASIDE gently, revealing the side of
her neck, COMPLETELY BLUE!!!
Claire GRITS HER TEETH.
LUCY
It-It's nothing...
CLAIRE
(both angry and sad)
Is it Paul?
INT. LUCY'S HOUSE - LUCY'S ROOM - LATER
Steven SLEEPS as Lucy READS THE SCRIPT, flashlight in hand.
She flips the pages every other moment.
STEVEN (V.O.)
I know why I gave Lucy the script. It's
because they are together in the end.
Lucy, on the last page, is CRYING.
Steven then awakens and looks at Lucy, concerned.
Lucy finishes reading.
STEVEN (CONT'D)
Are you okay?
LUCY
(smiles, stuttering)
I l-l-l-love it.
STEVEN
Thanks, Luce.
LUCY
You're the one who did all the work.
STEVEN
No, it was simple. All I did was write
from the heart.
(beat)
Plus, I had great inspiration.
Lucy SMILES.
STEVEN (CONT'D)
(nervous)
Did you notice anything about the script?
LUCY
(giggles)
Like what?
STEVEN
(re: giggling)
What's funny?
LUCY
You are.
(beat)
I'll tell you what. I'll answer your
question, but not now.
STEVEN
When?
LUCY
The Sophomore banquet.
STEVEN
Why the Sophomore banquet?
LUCY
(laughs)
'cause I know there isn't any other way
to get you to go.
Lucy SMILES, reaches over and SQUEEZES STEVEN'S HAND, but her
shirt slips up and reveals some of her BRUISES. With the
same face she had in the bathroom, she quickly hides them.
Steven looks at her, puzzled.
INT. PAUL'S HOUSE - FRONT DOOR
Someone KNOCKS unrelentingly from the outside.
Paul walks to the door, opens it, and finds himself looking
at...
...CLAIRE.
PAUL
Who the hell-
Claire suddenly SLAMS her balled fist RIGHT into Paul's
jaw!!!
Stumbling backwards, Paul inches into his house, Claire
following him, her face showing sheer anger.
CLAIRE
Sometimes that's the only way your kind
learns. Now you stay away from Lucy
Nielson. You leave her alone or I come
back and I won't stop hitting you 'till
you're more bruised up than she is!
Paul, dazed, FALLS TO THE FLOOR, unable to keep his balance,
Claire all the while watching him writhe.
Paul dabs his finger into the blood dripping from his cut
lip, not knowing what to do or how to feel, and then looks up
at Claire.
PAUL
Ok-Okay.
(spits)
She won't ever see me again, 'kay?
CLAIRE
(roughly)
Okay.
And, just like that, Claire is gone.
INT. COURTROOM - DAY
Manny is ON THE STAND as Larson asks questions.
LARSON
Where were you the day of the shooting?
MANNY
I was in class.
LARSON
So did you kill anyone?
MANNY
No.
LARSON
Thank you.
Larson walks to his seat as Scott rises.
SCOTT
You say you were in class that day?
MANNY
Yes.
SCOTT
Then why weren't you marked present
during fifth period, the period of the
shooting?
MANNY
I don't know...
(beat)
I guess the teacher never saw me.
SCOTT
Was this some coincidence that every
student missed you as well?
MANNY
I guess so-
SCOTT
You "guess so."
(beat)
What about your room?
MANNY
I don't understand-
SCOTT
Why did you have pictures of victims of
serial killers plastered all over your
room?
MANNY
That's none of your business-
SCOTT
It BECOMES my business once you kill
three kids and injure eight!
MANNY
I DIDN'T KILL ANYBODY!
SCOTT
ANSWER THE QUESTION!
MANNY
I NEEDED THEM, OKAY?!
SCOTT
Why?
MANNY
They kept me sane.
SCOTT
Obviously they didn't.
(beat)
Why did you have a gun hidden in your
room?
MANNY
I didn't have any gun.
SCOTT
Don't lie to me.
MANNY
I'm not lying-
SCOTT
Then how did the gun get there, Mr.
Reid?! Did it walk over by itself?!
MANNY
No-
SCOTT
Because you put it there. You stole the
gun from your dad's shop, hid it, and on
the day of February the nineteenth, you
used it to kill your classmates!
MANNY
You don't know that.
SCOTT
Oh, yes, I do, Mr. Reid.
(beat)
What is school like?
MANNY
What?
SCOTT
What is an average school day like?
MANNY
Terrible.
SCOTT
Why?
MANNY
I get beaten up every day. My money gets
stolen by recess. By fourth period my
homework is stolen. When school ends I'm
a blood-soaked mess.
SCOTT
Must be terrible.
MANNY
Yes.
SCOTT
You wanted it to stop, correct?
MANNY
Yeah.
Scott takes out a piece of paper from his suit and then reads
it.
SCOTT
"The righteousness of the weak, in all
its glorified splendor, can only be
gained through the spilled blood of the
powerful." Are these your words?
MANNY
Y-Yes.
SCOTT
What does it symbolize?
MANNY
Gaining power by killing the powerful.
SCOTT
Like David Halstrom?
MANNY
(sighs)
Yeah.
SCOTT
Like Janet LePole?
MANNY
Yes.
SCOTT
Like Luke Campbell?
MANNY
Yes.
Scott looks at the jury, the courtroom's cold silence nerve
racking, for Scott has made his case.
Scott looks at the judge.
SCOTT
Nothing further.
Scott sits at his desk as Manny sees his freedom vanish from
his life, his innocence fading away from the jurors' eyes.
JUDGE
The witness is excused.
INT. LUCY'S HOUSE - LUCY'S ROOM - NIGHT
Steven watches "Carrie" on his computer, lying on his
sleeping bag, when Lucy comes in. She jumps onto her bed and
then looks over at Steven's computer.
LUCY
What's that?
STEVEN
"Carrie."
LUCY
(stuttering)
Why are you w-w-w-w-watching "Carrie?"
STEVEN
I'm preparing.
LUCY
For what?
STEVEN
The dance.
(beat)
I never went to one before.
LUCY
Poe, no one is going to throw pigs blood
on you. You're going to be all right.
STEVEN
I know, I just...I guess I'm nervous.
That's all.
LUCY
Don't worry.
(smiles)
I'll protect you.
STEVEN
(chuckles)
You always were the muscle.
LUCY
When I'm compared to you, yes.
(laughs, beat)
You're going to be okay.
STEVEN
You just said that.
LUCY
I'm just trying to hammer it in there.
(beat)
Now let's watch something more fun.
Lucy takes out "True Lies."
Steven ejects "Carrie" and inserts "True Lies."
STEVEN (V.O.)
(sighs)
It feels like I have only a little time
before I have to go.
(beat)
The waiting is nerve-racking. I both
want the dance to be now and later. But
it's not like I'm not going to go. No
way.
Steven HUGS DIRTDEVIL, who is strategically placed so that he
can clearly see the movie.
INT. COURTROOM - DAY
Larson walks back and forth in front of the jury.
LARSON
Make no mistake about it. You are the
axemen. The lever pullers. The drug
injectors. You are the people that will
either kill or free my client. You are
the people that make the decision.
(beat)
You can either convict my client solely
on hearsay and circumstantial evidence,
or you can free my client not because
there isn't any physical evidence proving
he did it but because he is innocent.
(beat)
Make the right choice. Don't let Manny
go to jail because you aren't sure or you
just want the trial over. Set him free.
Larson sits as Scott approaches the jury with PHOTOS in his
hand.
SCOTT
Luke Campbell.
Scott gives the jury a photo of Campbell's body from the
crime scene.
SCOTT (CONT'D)
Janet LePole.
Scott hands a picture of Janet's body to the jury.
SCOTT (CONT'D)
David Halstrom.
Finally, Scott hands the jury a picture of David's body.
SCOTT (CONT'D)
These people aren't here today. They
will never be. And it's all due to the
defendant!
(points at Manny)
He put on a mask, snuck out of school and
then re-entered with a 9mm Beretta.
Thirteen shots. Thirteen shots rang out
that day, one going into Luke Campbell's
heart, another going into Janet LePole's
neck, and the last going into David
Halstrom's HEAD!
(sighs)
A senseless tragedy. Nothing will bring
them back, but you can put away the
perpetrator. Don't let him loose so he
can kill any more people when he gets
beaten up! Sure, Manny Reid was bullied.
He was wrongly treated. But does that
justify murder? If you set him free,
your answer is yes.
(beat)
Have no doubt about it, Manny Reid did
perpetrate the shooting. He even gave
his english teacher a preview! He wrote
constantly about killing the powerful to
gain power! He repeatedly wrote about
bathing in their blood! I know many
people who would attribute this to
adolescence, but does every teenager go
on a shooting rampage at school? Do they
then try to get away with it?! Well,
don't let Manny Reid get away with it.
Think of the victims. Think of their
parents. Think of the people he will
kill next if he is freed.
Scott then sits in his seat.
JUDGE
The jury is excused to deliberate.
INT. LUCY'S HOUSE - BATHROOM
Lucy stands in front of the mirror again, again in a tank
top, but this time she looks at her scars...and doesn't cover
them up. She looks at them without the shame in her eyes
that was there before.
EXT. CLAIRE'S CAR - SCHOOL - CURB - NIGHT
Claire pulls over and lets the two out.
CLAIRE
Have a good time.
Then she drives away.
Steven and Lucy, now alone, head for the entrance.
STEVEN (V.O.)
This is it.
INT. GYM
The front doors open and Steven and Lucy enter. The prom is
huge with balloons all over the place and food and drinks
galore. Music is playing loud enough for the floor to
vibrate. In the middle of the gym is a huge crowd of people
dancing wildly.
Steven and Lucy head to a table and sit.
STEVEN
Well.
LUCY
What?
STEVEN
We're here. At the dance.
LUCY
Just wait a while.
STEVEN
You're going to kill me with stress one
of these days.
LUCY
Could be worse.
Lucy looks at the dancing crowd.
LUCY (CONT'D)
(grabbing Steven's hand)
Come on.
Lucy leads Steven into the crowd, though Steven tries to get
away.
STEVEN
I-I can't dance!
LUCY
(stuttering)
It doesn't matter! J-J-J-J-Just go with
it.
Lucy starts dancing as Steven stands, not knowing what to do.
He looks at Lucy and then everyone else.
Steven starts to DANCE AWKWARDLY, the true signs of a novice,
and begins to get UNWANTED ATTENTION from others, who LOOK AT
HIM ODDLY, starting to POINT and LAUGH.
Steven SWEATS and IGNORES THEM, still trying to dance.
The people then laugh even LOUDER, now echoing throughout the
entire gym. They TEASE and make CRUEL JOKES at Steven who,
without knowing what else to do, STOPS and RUNS AWAY to the
doors and BURSTS OUT, Lucy running out after him-
Suddenly everything goes BACK TO NORMAL.
It WASN'T REAL!!!
Steven is still in the middle of the dance floor, no one
paying him any attention. Lucy is STILL DANCING in front of
him.
Steven SIGHS-
STEVEN (V.O.)
Fuck it.
-and STARTS TO DANCE!!!!!
Lucy SMILES.
LUCY
Atta boy, Poe.
Steven and Lucy continue to dance into the night, the only
ones in their own world.
INT. LUCY'S HOUSE - LUCY'S ROOM - NIGHT
Steven lies on his sleeping bag as Lucy lies on her bed.
Both are awake.
STEVEN
You never gave me your answer.
LUCY
What?
STEVEN
At the dance. You said you were going to
tell me...you know.
LUCY
(stuttering)
I kn-n-n-n-now.
STEVEN (V.O.)
There are few times when your life
changes in one specific moment. Some are
good, some are bad.
Lucy PULLS Steven onto her bed and KISSES HIM!!!
STEVEN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
It's about time I had a good one.
INT. LUCY'S HOUSE - LUCY'S ROOM - DAY
Steven wakes up with Lucy SLEEPING BESIDE HIM, both naked and
under the covers, Dirtdevil in one of her arms and her other
over Steven's chest.
They are serene, peaceful. They are happy.
EXT. POST OFFICE - DAY
Steven, with a package the size of the one Claire mailed,
enters the post office...
INT. LUCY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Steven walks to Claire, who is watching TV, and HANDS HER HIS
SCRIPT, which is in a green binder.
CLAIRE
(motioning to binder)
What's this?
STEVEN
A Moment of Eternity.
CLAIRE
Your script?
STEVEN
Yeah.
CLAIRE
I'll read it as soon as I can.
STEVEN
Thanks, Claire.
INT. MANNY'S HOUSE - MANNY'S ROOM - MORNING
Manny, COVERED in BRUISES, lies on his bed. He GRABS an ICE
PACK and puts it on his biggest wound. Manny CRIES.
INT. LUCY'S HOUSE - LUCY'S ROOM - MORNING
Steven, ready for school, GRABS DIRTDEVIL and HANDS HIM to
Claire, who is sitting on the couch.
STEVEN
Can you take care of Dirtdevil?
CLAIRE
(confused)
W-Why?
STEVEN
(beat)
I don't need him anymore.
Claire looks at Dirtdevil.
CLAIRE
I will.
(beat)
I promise.
Steven KISSES Claire on the cheek.
STEVEN
Thanks, Claire.
INT. CAR - ROAD TO SCHOOL
Steven sits in back with Lucy as Claire is in the front
passenger's seat. Lucy's mom is driving.
EXT. SCHOOL - CURB
The car pulls over at the curb, Claire, Lucy and Steven
getting out. After, the car pulls away and drives off.
The three head for the entrance.
CLAIRE
Gee. Who would've thought?
LUCY
What?
CLAIRE
That the two of you would...you know.
LUCY
(surprised)
How-
CLAIRE
I can tell. That plus the fact that the
walls to your room aren't very thick and
I could hear you two makin' with the
smoochies...and doing some other things.
Lucy turns BEET RED.
LUCY
Oh my God...
CLAIRE
Don't worry. I won't tell.
LUCY
(stuttering)
Thanks. My mom would k-k-k-k-kill me.
CLAIRE
No problem. I know the feeling.
Steven looks at the ground as HUNDREDS of other kids flock
into the school. He LOOKS UP and LOOKS INTO THE EYES OF ONE
KID!
STEVEN
Hey.
KID
(without pause)
Hey.
The two then simply PASS BY each other.
INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - MORNING
Bull enters the station, his raincoat still on and his
satchel in his hands. He hangs his raincoat on the coat rack
and then sits at his desk, where Murdoc is waiting.
MURDOC
About time you showed up.
BULL
People only seem late when you're waiting
for them. What is it?
MURDOC
Ira Reid's store was robbed. All his
ammo and most of the machine guns on the
racks.
BULL
Hmm.
MURDOC
"Hmm?" Isn't it a bit of a coincidence?
BULL
Probably some people pissed at Manny.
It's all over the news.
MURDOC
Maybe.
(beat)
Maybe.
Murdoc looks at his watch.
MURDOC (CONT'D)
Trial's in an hour. You going?
BULL
Yeah. There's something...
(sighs)
I don't know. I just need to see it end.
MURDOC
We all do.
(beat)
I just hope the bastard gets the needle.
BULL
You really hate him, don't you?
MURDOC
That's what happens when you kill three
kids.
INT. HALLWAY - LOCKERS
Steven stops by his locker and tries to open it, but it
WON'T. He sighs and then turns to walk away but is then FACE
TO-FACE with Lucy!
LUCY
BOO!
Steven JUMPS, jolted as if struck by lightning.
STEVEN
(surprised)
Jeez...
LUCY
Hey, Poe.
STEVEN
(still jilted)
Hey, Luce.
LUCY
(beat)
Did I scare 'ya?
STEVEN
(breathing heavily)
K-Kind of.
Lucy giggles and KISSES Steven on the cheek. She then puts
her arm around his and leads him to class.
STEVEN (CONT'D)
(joking)
I-I don't think you're supposed to treat
your boyfriend like this.
LUCY
(laughs)
I'm sorry I scared you, my boyfriend!
(laughs again)
My boyfriend.
STEVEN
Are you high?
LUCY
No, I can't stop saying it.
(in a daze)
Boyfriend.
STEVEN
Hard to believe, huh?
LUCY
(smiles)
Nope.
Then a SHADOW falls over them.
PAUL (O.S.)
Hey, Lucy.
The two turn around, recognizing Paul's voice. Lucy looks at
Paul and lets out a blood-curdled gasp.
Paul is holding his bag in one hand and his gym bag in the
other, his left eye BLACK.
PAUL (CONT'D)
I was looking for you.
LUCY
(stuttering)
P-P-Paul...
PAUL
I'm clean.
LUCY
You quit?
PAUL
Two weeks straight, now.
LUCY
(stuttering)
That's g-g-great.
PAUL
Yeah.
(beat)
So, are you seeing anyone?
LUCY
(stuttering)
Y-Yeah.
Paul's face whitens.
PAUL
Who?
LUCY
(scared)
Uh...
Steven steps in front of Lucy.
STEVEN
(clears throat)
Me.
PAUL
(twitching)
That's g-good.
Paul looks at the two, angry enough to explode.
LUCY
(stuttering)
We can still be f-f-f-friends-
PAUL
I'm glad.
(to Steven)
Take care of her.
(beat)
Maybe that way she'll give some head.
Paul GRINS, his eyes BURNING into a suddenly ashamed Lucy.
PAUL (CONT'D)
Also, in the future, try to pick a girl
whose legs aren't joined at the knees.
Then, right at that moment, Lucy makes her first decision for
herself. She walks up to Paul and SLAPS HIM IN THE FACE!!!
Paul, dumbstruck, can only rub his reddening cheek.
LUCY
(angrily)
How dare you!
Paul walks away, curbing the pressing need to pummel the two.
When he is gone, Steven and Lucy let out deep sighs of
relief.
LUCY (CONT'D)
Thanks.
STEVEN
For what?
LUCY
For telling him. I couldn't have...
STEVEN
You should take the credit for this one.
Steven jokingly pretends to smack an invisible person,
causing Lucy to giggle.
INT. COURTROOM - DAY
The judge wipes his sweating head with a handkerchief.
JUDGE
(sighs)
My patience is wearing thin, Mr. Larson.
Bull, watching the trial, looks at his watch.
MURDOC (V.O.)
Ira Reid's store was robbed. All his
ammo and most of the machine guns on the
racks.
Bull's eyes widen.
BULL
Oh my God.
Bull LEAPS out of his seat and BURSTS out through the doors,
heading for his car.
INT. BULL'S CAR - STREETS - DAY
Bull SWERVES left and right, his siren BLARING and his light
flashing wildly.
BULL
GODDAMMIT!!!
I/E. VARIOUS
- Outside Manny's house, Bull KICKS open the door, quickly
surveys the empty living room and then RUNS up the stairs.
- In Ira's bedroom, the door BURSTS open with Bull behind it,
though the room is totally empty.
- In the science class, Steven sits next to Lucy, holding her
hand. Lucy SMILES.
- In Manny's bathroom, Bull KICKS the door in, confronting
yet another empty room.
BULL
Shit!
- In the school entrance, a long hallway, the doors open and
big, BLACK BOOTS step in, the bottom of a duster coat
visible.
- Steven looks into Lucy's eyes. When she looks into his, he
SMILES.
STEVEN (V.O.)
(sighs)
I don't know why or why then, but at that
moment I realized the enormity of our
relationship. I came to see how
fantastic it was and, because of that,
this moment is my second moment of
eternity.
- In the hallway, the boots clunk as the person steps closer
and closer to one of the classroom doors. The person lets
out a DEEP BREATH and...
...the person is MANNY!!!
- Outside Manny's house, Bull RUSHES out of the front door
and JUMPS into his car, putting it in gear and SPEEDING OFF.
- In the school hallway, Manny is in front of the door of a
classroom and lifts up his leg...
- While driving through the streets, Bull ACCELERATES, now in
excess of one-hundred MPH! He swerves over the road, eluding
the other cars not able to move out of the way quickly
enough!
BULL
Don't do it, you son of a bitch, DON'T DO
IT!
INT. SCIENCE CLASS
Steven is still looking at Lucy.
STEVEN (V.O.)
Huh. I never felt this before...
BAM!
The door BURSTS OPEN, kicked in by MANNY-
STEVEN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
...I'm happy.
Everyone JUMPS as Manny enters the room, reaches inside his
coat, and takes out...
...a pump-action shotgun.
He points it randomy and-
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
He SHOOTS STEVEN!!!!!
Steven is ROCKETED out of his chair and falls to the floor,
his blood spilling into a puddle beside him.
LUCY
STEVEN!!!
Lucy RUNS to Steven, five feet back, and kneels by his side,
crying and caressing his face as MANNY continues to fire
wildly at the students.
MANNY
THIS WHAT YOU THOUGHT?!
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Manny FIRES again and again, hitting students left and right.
THE REMAINING STUDENTS, screaming for their lives, RUN INTO
THE HALLS.
INT. SCHOOL - CLAIRE'S CLASS
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Claire HEARS the shots and traces them to...Steven's class.
Claire's face contorts into pure fear.
CLAIRE
STEVEN!
INT. SCIENCE CLASS
Manny cocks his shotgun, but it's out of ammo. Manny DROPS
the shotgun and then takes out a MACHINE GUN from under his
coat and FIRES at the running students! Manny FOLLOWS THEM
and stops at the door, looking at the chaos.
All the students are STREAMING into the halls, all heading
towards the fire exits.
Manny FIRES HIS GUN at them, the machine gun pumping out over
ten bullets every second! Manny stops, ejects his clip,
replaces it, and then the unforgettable "click!" marks the
time he's again ready to fire. Without hesitation, he FIRES
AGAIN at the students, hitting SEVEN in the back! They fall
to the floor, either dead or unconscious.
MANNY
IS THIS WORSE?!
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Manny FIRES AGAIN, hitting ONE STUDENT twice in the skull.
INT. CLASSROOM - FIFTH FLOOR
PAUL sits, doing his work, until he hears something...
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
MANNY (O.S.)
(echoes)
Was it like this?!
Paul STANDS.
PAUL
LUCY!
He DASHES into the hall and RUNS toward the stairs to the
first floor, though he'd have to go through floors two,
three, and four first.
PAUL (CONT'D)
SON OF A BITCH!!
INT. HALLS
DOZENS upon DOZENS of children LIE ON THE FLOOR, bleeding
PUDDLES OF CRIMSON BLOOD, the corpses frozen as if in a
picture.
MANNY then walks IN BETWEEN the dead bodies, trying not to
get BLOOD ON HIS CLOTHES. He looks at some of the bodies and
POINTS his RIFLE at a corpse's HEAD...
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Blood SPLATTERS all over Manny's face and shirt, dripping
down his body, leaving red trails everywhere when A WOMAN
then RUNS AWAY far at the other end of the hall.
MANNY turns around and looks at the person.
MANNY
FUCKIN' STOP RIGHT FUCKIN' THERE!
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Manny FIRES his machine gun and HITS THE WOMAN in the LEGS
repeatedly!!!
Crying in pain, she rolls over, revealing her face. She is
MS. ROTH!!!
MANNY walks to her, moving quickly and muttering profanities
to himself every step of the way.
INT. SCIENCE CLASS
BAM!
A GUNSHOT, far off in the distance, rings out, though Steven
and Lucy are still on the ground, both now drenched in blood,
Lucy's face soaking in tears. They hold hands, together,
Lucy running her other hand through Steven's hair, trying to
keep him awake.
Trying to keep him alive.
LUCY
(crying)
St-Steven?
STEVEN
(voice gurgly from blood)
L-Luce...
LUCY
(sniffles, stuttering)
I l-l-l-love you.
STEVEN
(smiles, gurgly)
I love you t-too...
LUCY
(crying, stuttering)
J-J-J-Just hold on, you're gonna...you're
gonna be okay...
Steven SMILES, knowing he's not going to make it. He LIFTS
HIS HAND and TOUCHES HER CHEEK lovingly.
INT. HALLS
Manny walks down the now blood-red hall, following a CROWD OF
RUNNING STUDENTS, all screaming and pleading for their lives.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Manny FIRES at ALL OF THEM blindly, hitting over one third!
As they fall, their own blood spurts out of the holes in
their bodies, to their horror and disbelief.
One of the students, a BOY, QUIVERS with panic and hysterics,
as MANNY manages to get closer and closer.
BOY
(unable to speak)
H-Heavenly father-
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Manny practically EMPTIES AN ENTIRE CLIP into the boy.
Walking away, Manny ejects the clip and slaps in another one,
dropping the empty magazine on one of the bodies on the
floor, the actual tiles now feet under bodies, blood and
bullet casings.
Just then Manny looks at a WALL with a piece of paper on it,
which reads, "Come to the guidance counselor for any
emotional issues you want to discuss or work through. We are
here to help you."
Manny RUNS down another hallway, knowing where he wants to
go.
INT. COUNSELOR'S OFFICE
The office, though not in the least bit disturbed, is lit in
a sickly red, for the glass door is covered in BLOOD. And
underneath her desk is MS. PAIGE, head in her arms!
INT. HALLS
Manny RUNS through the hall, getting closer and closer to the
counselor's office...
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Manny FIRES INTO THE WALLS, causing them to CHIP and SHATTER.
He RELOADS his gun and then starts to SHOOT THE DEAD BODIES
on the FLOOR as he nears the office...
INT. COUNSELOR'S OFFICE
Ms. Paige CRIES in terror, hoping for the nightmare to end.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
The gunshots, NOT FAR OFF, seem to last forever, that is
until Manny's SILHOUETTE appears outside the blood-stained
door...
CRASH!
Manny SMASHES through it and THROWS the desk over, revealing
the cowering Ms. Paige. Manny GRABS HER HAIR and PULLS HER
ONTO HER FEET.
PAIGE
NOOO!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
Manny HITS her in the jaw with the stock of his rifle and
then puts the tip of the barrel IN HER MOUTH, Ms. Paige's
squeals still escaping-
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
INT. STAIRWELL
Paul runs down the steps as fast as he can, skipping every
other step to get faster...
INT. HALLS
Manny walks down the halls, now looking like Omaha beach on D
Day. He nears a turn when MS. BERNS comes RUNNING AT HIM
from the turn with a BASEBALL BAT raised HIGH IN THE AIR!!!
She BATS Manny RIGHT IN THE TEMPLE, causing him to waver, but
not fall. As he recovers, Ms. Berns HITS HIM AGAIN!!!
BAM!
Manny SHOOTS her in the foot!!!
Ms. Berns FALLS to the floor, wailing from the pain.
BERNS
(in between groans)
FUCKER-
Manny STEPS on Ms. Berns' wound and PRESSES DOWN!!! BLOOD
then SPURTS OUT of the wound, gushing everywhere-
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Manny SHOOTS HER in the SHOULDERS and the THIGHS!!!
Ms. Berns SCREAMS, BLOOD seeping from her mouth. Manny
starts to walk forward, but stops and TURNS HER OVER onto her
STOMACH. Reloading and cocking his gun, Manny AIMS...
BAM!!!
...and SHOOTS Ms. Berns RIGHT IN THE SPINE!!!
Ms. Berns CRIES and SCREAMS, WRITHING IN PAIN but STAYING
ALIVE.
MANNY
Now you're a piece-of-shit FUCKIN' gimp,
bitch-fuckin' cunt.
Manny KICKS her in the side and then WALKS OFF, Ms. Berns
reaching out for him.
BERNS
NO!!!
INT. CLASSROOM
Manny enters the classroom, which has DOZENS of DEAD BODIES
in it, BLOOD TRAILS on the floor proving they have been
DRAGGED IN. Manny follows the trail until he comes across
one body...
...and PULLS IT UP to its feet. It is alive! The body is
JAKE, bloody and CRYING.
MANNY
(laughing)
Hello, Jake.
Jake FALLS TO HIS KNEES, clutching onto Manny's coat.
JAKE
Please, PLEASE don't kill me! Please! I
beg you, I'll do anything!
Manny SCOFFS and-
BAM BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
-SHOOTS JAKE in the GROIN and then in the HEAD, blowing his
brains practically out the back of the skull!
INT. SCHOOL - CLASSROOM
Manny SHOOTS EVERYWHERE, students' bodies falling left and
right, the stray bullets completely eradicating the desks and
chalk boards...
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
MANNY
COME OUT! DON'T HIDE!
Manny heads toward the teachers desk and checks
underneath...and finds a sophomore boy around sixteen.
BOY
(quivering)
P-Please-
Manny points his rifle at the boy's head-
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
INT. STAIRWELL
Paul SKIPS down the steps sloppily, unable to run faster. He
slides down the railing and heads closer to the first
floor...
INT. HALLS
Manny walks down another hall, no living person in sight. He
aims his gun at the corpses on the floor and SHOOTS every one
that twitches.
Just then the SMOKE from his barrel SETS OFF THE EMERGENCY
SPRINKLERS, soaking everything in the school with water,
almost everyone already soaked in blood.
Manny WIPES HIS EYES and sees THREE STUDENTS RUN INTO a
CLASSROOM.
INT. BULL'S CAR - SCHOOL
Bull SCREECHES to a stop and then speeds out of the car,
stopping at the school's entrance and drawing his gun, a 9mm
Beretta.
Bull takes a deep breath and ENTERS THE SCHOOL.
INT. CLASSROOM
Manny enters the classroom, which is pretty much intact
except for the water. He looks at all the desks, knowing the
students could be hiding under any one.
He reloads and cocks the rifle.
Aiming it at the desk closest to him, he-
BAM! BAM! BAM!
-FIRES into it, though nothing is under it. Manny GETS ONTO
ALL FOURS and looks for them underneath the desks and sees...
...no one.
WHACK!
Just then one of the kids, next to the other two, KICKS Manny
RIGHT IN THE JAW.
MANNY
SHIT, FUCK COCK SUCKIN'-
Manny SHOOTS ALL THREE in the legs!!!
As they fall onto each other, Manny gets to his feet.
MANNY (CONT'D)
-CUNT PISSIN' DICK BASTARD-
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Manny EMPTIES an ENTIRE CLIP into the three!
EXT. ROAD - DAY
Police cars ROCKET down the road, sirens WAILING, their tires
SCRAPING against the paved streets, getting ever closer to
the school.
One cruiser, the car in the lead, GAINS SPEED every moment,
one of the police officers inside SCREAMING into his RADIO.
POLICE OFFICER
(to radio)
10-4, we're ten minutes from the school
now.
The RADIO SQUAWKS.
RADIO
Be advised, SWAT team en route to said
location.
INT. CLASSROOM
Students HIDE UNDER THEIR DESKS as their teacher HUDDLES BY
HERSELF in the CORNER OF THE ROOM.
INT. SCHOOL - PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE
MR. DAVIES sits at his desk, holding a LARGE PAIR of RUSTY
SCISSORS, ready to STRIKE, as someone OPENS THE DOOR-
DAVIES
STAY BACK!
MANNY enters the room, gun in hand, DRENCHED IN BLOOD and
WATER. He POINTS THE GUN at DAVIES...
BAM!
...and SHOOTS the SCISSORS OUT OF DAVIES' HAND!
Now defenseless, Davies COWERS ON HIS KNEES, starting to CRY
like a BABY.
DAVIES (CONT'D)
P-Please...don't kill me! PLEASE!
MANNY
Fuck you.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Manny SHOOTS DAVIES in the STOMACH, watching him DIE SLOWLY,
the man WRITHING IN PAIN while beginning to SOAK in a POOL of
his OWN BLOOD, turning BLACK...
Manny laughs.
INT. SCHOOL - SPALDING'S OFFICE
Spalding, trying his best not to make a sound, quietly LOOKS
OUT THE DOOR of his office, peering into the HALLWAY, looking
for any signs of Manny.
The hallway is all clear.
Spalding EASES OUT and begins his mad dash toward the fire
exit, only fifty feet away, a CARPET of DEAD BODIES before
it.
He RUNS, only FORTY FEET away...
...thirty feet...
...twenty feet...
...ten feet...
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
GUNSHOTS ring out, RIPPING THROUGH SPALDING'S TORSO,
practically SAWING HIM IN HALF!
Now lying on the floor, his intestines spilling out of his
wounds, Spalding LOOKS at MANNY, emerging from a CLASSROOM,
his gun SMOKING.
Spalding knows he is going to die.
INT. SCHOOL - HALLWAY - ENTRANCE
Bull cocks his gun and slowly advances into the hallway,
which is covered with blood and has the bodies of students
everywhere.
BULL
Good God...
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Bull hears gunshots, somewhat far off, and heads toward them.
INT. SCHOOL - HALLWAY
Manny RELOADS his machine gun and walks to the NEAREST
CLASSROOM, the sounds of WHIMPERING and CRYING filling the
halls. Manny SMILES-
SQUEAK!
-until he SLIPS on the BLOODY TILES of the floor and FALLS
DOWN HARD, FIRING his gun accidentally.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Manny DROPS the gun and RUBS HIS TEMPLES.
MANNY
FUCK!
Manny RISES, now COMPLETELY DRENCHED in diluted blood, and
PICKS UP HIS GUN. He TAKES THE CLIP OUT and checks how much
ammo he has left.
He has enough.
He slaps the clip back in and returns to walking to the next
classroom.
INT. HISTORY CLASS
Students and the teacher HIDE underneath their TABLES, the
squeaking of Manny's boots getting LOUDER AND LOUDER. Some
students begin to CRY as they realize Manny is after them,
while others freeze in stunned silence.
Then Manny KICKS the door open and WALKS IN nonchalantly, the
deed of killing now seeming as simple as doing the laundry.
Manny FIRES into the TEACHER'S DESK-
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
-until the teacher's MUTILATED CORPSE falls out.
Manny LAUGHS.
He looks around the room at the THIRTY COWERING STUDENTS, all
hiding futilely. They SHRINK back as Manny walks closer, as
if it would make a difference. Manny RIPS over the desk of
one kid, that kid being...
...JOCK #1!
Manny puts the tip of his rifle to the jock's chin and LIFTS
HIM UP to his feet, the gun all the while SCALDING the jock's
chin. The jock sheds ONE TEAR as Manny PULLS THE TRIGGER-
CLICK!
-but the gun is EMPTY!
MANNY
Fuck!
Jock #1 gives out a SIGH OF RELIEF, Manny ejecting the clip
and SLAPPING IN ANOTHER! The jock takes in a shocked gasp-
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
-as Manny FIRES INTO HIM, riddling the jock with bullets!
As the body falls to the floor, Manny looks at the other
students, too afraid to run. He gives out an ANNOYED SIGH
and FIRES INTO THE CEILING!
BAM! BAM! BAM!
MANNY (CONT'D)
Get the fuck up! FUCKIN' RUN! MOVE!
MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!
The students all RUN out, finally trying to evade Manny, only
to be SHOT DOWN in a HAIL OF BULLETS coming from Manny's gun.
A few students in front SURVIVE, not shot, and RUN FOR THE
EXIT...
EXT. ROAD - DAY
The police cruisers speed down the road, mere minutes from
the school, as MORE POLICE CARS begin to join the race,
amongst them a SWAT VAN.
INT. HALLWAY
Bull HEARS MORE GUNSHOTS in the distance...
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
He TURNS A CORNER and RUNS FASTER, the gunshots getting
LOUDER, CLOSER.
INT. HALLWAY - HISTORY CLASS
Manny stands by the history class, a dead body right in front
of him. He ejects his clip, which clatters on the bloody
floor, and inserts a new one.
CLICK!
Manny's gun locks in the clip, now ready to go.
BULL (O.S.)
FREEZE!
Manny turns around and FIRES AT BULL, who takes cover behind
the bend of a wall. Chunks of plaster and cement chip away
at the wall as they're shot to hell.
Manny releases his finger from the trigger.
BULL (CONT'D)
Don't do this, son!
MANNY
(starting to cry)
Why?!
BULL
You're a good kid!
MANNY
No...
BULL
YES!
MANNY
(beginning to give in)
W-What'll happen?
BULL
You'll sign a waiver and you're home
free! Just come with me and you're safe!
(beat)
I'll prove it!
Bull drops his gun out and then walks into the line of fire,
his arms up and legs spread a little.
BULL (CONT'D)
Look! I trust you. You can trust me.
Now just come with me and give me the
gun!
Manny stalls, thinking.
INT. STAIRWELL
Paul sees and RUNS THROUGH THE DOOR to the first floor with a
big "BAM" and comes out into the hallway by Lucy's classroom.
INT. HALLWAY - HISTORY CLASS
BAM!!
Just then the STAIRWELL DOOR slams open from Paul leaving the
steps and Manny, spooked, SHOOTS!! He hits the walls, the
floor, and BULL in the RIGHT SIDE of his CHEST!!!
Manny then RUNS to the source of the sound, ejects his clip
and reloads, readying his gun.
PAUL runs toward the science classroom, breathing shallow
like he's in slow motion, time seeming longer than possible.
MANNY runs to the hallway that houses the science room...
PAUL goes to the door of the science room-
PAUL
LUCY!!!
He opens it...
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
...and is SHOT FIVE TIMES through the CHEST!!!!
Lucy SCREAMS as Paul's body falls to the floor and Manny's
image appears behind it. Manny DROPS his rifle and takes out
a PISTOL. He walks to Lucy and POINTS IT at her HEAD-
-until Steven starts to JERK and CONVULSE, blood spouting
from his mouth. Lucy instantly goes back to his side.
But, as she's helping Steven, she looks into Manny's eyes.
It is a short moment, but the effect is everlasting.
Lucy returns her attention to Steven, now still, calm, dead.
LUCY
(stuttering)
Steven? C-C-Come on, wake up...
She SHAKES him desperately, trying to bring him back.
LUCY (CONT'D)
(crying)
Steven?
Lucy STROKES HIS FACE and then RESTS ON HIS CHEST, tears
cascading down her cheeks.
LUCY (CONT'D)
(quietly, trying to coax a
response)
Poe?
(beat, sniffles)
Poe?
BAM!
Manny KILLS LUCY, whose body slumps over onto Steven's. The
two, somehow, seem to be at peace.
Manny looks at them and, in that very moment, realizes what
he's done. He's killed. He's become what he so vehemently
stated he wasn't. He lost his innocence. He is a killer.
Manny steps back, his insides shattering, the truth
unbelievably overwhelming, and starts to CRY. He sniffles
and looks to the floor.
MANNY
(quietly, to Lucy and Steven)
I'm sorry...
Then he puts his pistol to his temple-
BAM!
The final shot of the day rings out as Manny's lifeless body
crumples, hitting the ground hard.
Then, suddenly, POLICE SIRENS begin to rise up from the roads
in the distance, getting closer and closer, only far too
late.
EXT. SCHOOL - DUSK
The school is surrounded by cops and ambulances, a huge crowd
of reporters on the outskirts.
INT. SCIENCE CLASS
Paramedics are everywhere, police tape along the door. Lucy
and Steven's bodies are still there.
Just then someone tries to break through the police tape but
is restrained by two officers...
...the person is CLAIRE.
CLAIRE
(sobbing)
LUCY?! STEVEN??!! God, no, STEVEN!!!
FADE OUT.
FADE IN:
INT. MANNY'S HOUSE - FRONT DOOR - FEBRUARY 23
Ira opens the door to reveal MURDOC, standing in the doorway
with a box, its contents concealed by the lid.
MURDOC
I need to see your son's room, if that's
okay. Police stuff and all, you know?
IRA
Sure.
INT. MANNY'S HOUSE - MANNY'S ROOM
Murdoc walks into the room, closes and locks the door behind
him, and heads straight for...Manny's closet.
He opens it, CLEANS IT OUT and then crouched down with the
box. He opens it and takes out...
...the 9mm Beretta.
Murdoc, with his other hand, takes out a cylindrical file and
SHOVES it INSIDE THE BARREL repeatedly!
After retracting the file, he MARKS the barrel with chalk and
places the gun inside the closet. Afterwards, he takes out a
BLACK DUSTER COAT, a SKI MASK and GLOVES. He places them
into the closet, not showing a hint of remorse or guilt.
Murdoc CLOSES THE CLOSET and then takes out pictures of
MURDER VICTIMS and SERIAL KILLERS. He grabs GLUE from the
box and starts to PASTE THE PICTURES OVER THE CLOSET, HIDING
IT!!!
EXT. SCHOOL - FIRE EXIT - DAY - FEBRUARY 19
A FIGURE, its face hidden in the shade of the "Fire Exit"
sign protruding from the wall, stands outside the fire exit
wearing BLACK, with a DUSTER COAT and GLOVES. The figure
holds a SKI MASK in one hand and a 9MM BERETTA IN THE OTHER.
As the figure puts on the mask it moves OUT OF THE SHADE,
REVEALING ITS FACE. The figure is...
...Ms. Berns.
EXT. SCHOOL - MAIN ENTRANCE
Ms. Berns walks to the MAIN ENTRANCE, enters, and STARTS
SHOOTING. She looks at several students as they flee her
wrath and SHOOTS ONE.
That student is DAVID HALSTROM.
INT. SCHOOL - BATHROOM
MANNY sits in a stall, crouching down out of sight, SMOKING A
JOINT quietly-
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Manny LOOKS UP, eyes wide and MOUTH OPEN.
FADE OUT.
FADE IN:
INT. CLAIRE'S ROOM - NIGHT
Claire WALKS INTO HER ROOM and takes out "A Moment of
Eternity" from her desk. She lies down on her bed, which has
DIRTDEVIL lying on it by her pillow, prepares herself by
taking in a deep breath, and starts to read it...
INT. CLAIRE'S ROOM - NIGHT - LATER
Claire, on the last page and holding DIRTDEVIL tightly, is
CRYING by now, but something on the page catches her eye. On
the bottom, in Steven's handwriting, is one passage:
"I love you, Claire.
--Steven."
FADE TO BLACK.
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