Anathema Pt 2
INT. MENTAL HOSPITAL LOBBY. DAY.
Thad exits a bathroom dressed like a doctor. The women’s
restroom DOOR OPENS and Jess emerges, also dressed like a
doctor. Jess turns to Thad and nods the “go ahead”. Thad and
Jess walk past an examination room with a clipboard sitting
in a plastic patient file holder on the wall. Thad GRABS THE
CLIPBOARD and they walk around the corner to the main desk.
THAD
(to the RECEPTIONIST)
Good morning. We’re here for a
patient transfer.
RECEPTIONIST
Good morning. What patient are you
transferring?
Thad looks at his clipboard, FLIPPING THE PAGES several
times.
THAD
Jack Roux.
RECEPTIONIST
And your names?
Thad glances at a board behind the Receptionist that lists
doctors associated with the hospital.
THAD
I’m Doctor Mengele and this is
Doctor Freeman.
The Receptionist perks up.
RECEPTIONIST
Ah, yes! It’s very nice to meet you
Doctors! I’ve heard great things
about you both!
Thad nods in appreciation.
RECEPTIONIST (CONT.)
I know you’re both very busy with
research, so I’ll go ahead and call
down there so they can get him
ready for you and I’ll take care of
the paperwork. How’s that sound?
THAD
Much appreciated.
The Receptionist TYPES something into her computer.
RECEPTIONIST
Alright… he’ll be waiting for you
in room 237.
The Receptionist smiles at them and they smile back. Thad
and Jess begin WALKING toward the elevator. The Receptionist
CALLS after them.
RECEPTIONIST
Doctor?
Thad turns nervously, fearing he’s been caught.
THAD
Yes?
RECEPTIONIST
(winking)
Send me a picture when you’re done?
I just love your work!
THAD
(winking back)
Certainly, dear.
The elevator DOOR OPENS. Thad and Jess walk into the
elevator and the DOOR CLOSES.
INT. MENTAL HOSPITAL. ROOM 237. DAY.
JACK ROUX, a scrappy-looking kid — 20ish, sits in a white
chair in the middle of a large white room. He is wearing a
standard white outfit with short sleeves and full-length
pants. He has large, white bandages wrapped around both of
his wrists/forearms. His dreadlocked hair sits aloof atop
his vacantly expressionless face. He stares out a large
window in front of him while the open door to the hallway
lies directly behind.
A moment passes before a YOUNG NURSE leads a group
consisting of a DOCTOR, Thad, and Jess to the doorway. The
Doctor excuses the Nurse who walks away. The Doctor appears
to be explaining something to Thad, but the AUDIENCE CAN’T
HEAR THEM. Jess appears disinterested and WALKS SOFTLY into
the room. She walks out of the frame to the right and
returns with a white chair. Jess PLACES the CHAIR to the the
right (screen left)of Jack and SITS DOWN QUIETLY. She
doesn’t look at Jack, content to just stare out the window
with him.
A moment passes with Jess and Jack as Thad appears to be
signing some kind of paperwork in the background. The Doctor
nods to Thad when he’s finished signing and they shake
hands. The Doctor leaves down the hallway the way he came.
Thad WALKS into the room SLOWLY, only glancing at Jess and
Jack for a moment before joining them in gazing out the
large window. As he comes to stand to Jack’s immediate left
(screen right), Thad continues to stare out the window as he
reaches into the breast pocket of his shirt, into a pack of
filter-less cigarettes. He pulls one out and reaches over to
place it in between Jack’s lips. Thad proceeds to put a
cigarette in his own mouth as well. None of them avert their
gaze from the large window. A short moment passes.
THAD
(nodding his head)
…alright then.
Thad turns and begins WALKING toward the door. Jess SLOWLY
STANDS UP and begins walking to the door also. Thad gets to
the doorway and turns to look at Jack. Jack slowly looks
down at the cigarette in his mouth and reaches up to take it
out of his mouth. His open hand grasping the cigarette, he
brings it down to waist level, staring at it, and then
returns it to his lips. His glance returns to the window for
a short moment and then he slowly stands up and WALKS to the
door. He pauses in front of Thad, who smiles and puts an arm
around him as they WALK through the doorway.
INT. SMALL CAR. DAY.
The trio is now sitting in Jess’s small car. Thad is driving
and Jack is sitting in the middle. The car is packed with
the items Thad and Jess are taking with them to Canada -
mainly clothes and camping gear. They have all just gotten
situated, but the car is not yet started.
Thad reaches into his pocket to retrieve his lighter. Once
he has it, Thad reaches over to light Jack’s cigarette. Jack
sits there expressionless. Thad checks to make sure Jack has
a good light and then turns back to light his own cigarette.
Thad tucks his lighter back in his breast pocket and starts
to roll down his window.
JESS
(like a fake cough)
AHEM…
Thad stops rolling down his window and looks over at Jess
with his hand still on the window crank. Jess looks at him
and puts her fingers to her mouth — indicating she wants a
cigarette. Thad begrudgingly nods and sits up straight,
reaching into his breast pocket and producing a cigarette.
He reaches to hand it to her and she cranes her neck toward
him. He rolls his eyes and reaches across Jack to put the
cigarette in between her lips. She mimes lighting a lighter
and Thad reaches to grab his lighter and then lights her
cigarette. As he sits back, Thad notices that Jack’s
cigarette needs to be ashed so Thad grabs it out of Jack’s
mouth and ashes it out his window. He gently replaces it,
nodding as if feeding a young child. Thad then sits back to
relax and ashes his own cigarette out his window.
A long moment passes as they carry on this way. Jack becomes
more and more responsive as they go on — actively ashing his
own cigarette. The moment goes on for the length of their
cigarettes. Jack takes one last hard drag and tosses his
cigarette butt out the window before exhaling.
JACK
(staring vacantly)
You meet a lot of fucked up people
in the psych ward…
Thad and Jess both look at Jack, paying close attention.
Jack doesn’t say anything for a BEAT, so Thad STARTS THE
CAR. Thad reaches into his pocket and puts a cigarette into
his mouth and lights it. Thad takes a short drag and
transplants the cigarette into Jack’s mouth. Thad SHIFTS
INTO REVERSE and BEGINS BACKING OUT.
THAD
Start from the beginning.
INT. SMALL CAR. DAY.
The trio pulls into a parking spot similar to the one they
left at the mental hospital. They have arrived at the place
where Jack lives. It’s implied that on the drive there, Jack
has divulged the details of his suicide attempt and night in
the psych ward. Thad is in the process of PULLING INTO A
PARKING SPOT and SHIFTS INTO PARK.
JACK
…and that’s why I slit my wrists.
THAD
Wow…that’s fucked up…
They all sit in SILENCE for a moment — stunned.
JACK
The moment they told me somebody
was coming, I knew it was
you…why’d you come?
Thad puts his left arm on the steering wheel and reaches
into his breast pocket for a cigarette. As he puts it in his
mouth and lights it, Thad elaborates.
THAD
You’re my best friend and I love
you.
Thad TAKES A DEEP DRAG and turns to Jack — exhaling.
THAD
We’re going to Canada.
Thad turns his head back to the front and TAKES ANOTHER DEEP
DRAG. Jack looks at Thad in confusion and then turns to Jess
for confirmation. Jess looks at him and nods seriously.
JACK
No shit?
Jess nods again. Jack sits back in contemplation. He looks
over at Thad and snatches the cigarette out of Thad’s hand
and TAKES A DEEP DRAG. Thad is unphased and lights another
cigarette.
JACK
Do you mind if I tag along?
THAD
(without missing a beat)
Well, killing yourself doesn’t seem
to be working out for you, so…
Thad slowly grins at Jack and Jack smiles.
THAD (CONT.)
You’d better get your stuff
together.
JACK
Is it cold there this time of year?
INT. SMALL CAR. DAY.
It is implied that Jack has gone inside and packed up. He is
now sitting in the middle with a cold weather sweater on.
His bags have filled the small car up even more — it is
stuffed to bursting.
Thad STARTS THE CAR and SHIFTS INTO REVERSE.
JACK
I need to make a stop before we go.
Thad looks at Jack and raises an inquisitive eyebrow.
JACK
I need to write a suicide note.
Thad CHUCKLES.
THAD
(sarcastically)
I hate to tell ya, Jack, but
typically that’s something you do
before you try to kill yourself.
JACK
(absently)
I did write one…
Thad and Jess both turn to look at him.
THAD
Well, can we read it?
JACK
It didn’t make it.
CUT TO:
INT. JAIL HOLDING CELL.
Jack is sitting on the floor of a jail holding cell filled
with newly arrested criminals. Jack is sitting cross-legged,
writing his suicide note on a roll of toilet paper. As Jack
is writing, a large criminal is sitting on the nearby toilet
and reaches over, grabbing up Jack’s toilet paper note and
wiping his butt with it. Jack is subtly disgusted by the
man’s lack of reverence.
CUT TO:
INT. SMALL CAR. DAY.
Jack shakes off the bad memory.
JACK
It was a shitty suicide note
anyway.
Thad looks surprised.
THAD
Wait… You were in jail?
JACK
Possession charge.
THAD
I see.
JESS
So where are we going exactly?
JACK
I know a guy.
CUT TO:
INT. CHAIN COFFEE SHOP. DAY.
The trio stands just inside the doorway of a national chain
coffee shop. Jack is in the lead — surveying the tables. He
spots his man. The man is a HIPSTER, complete with long hair
and a scraggly beard. He sits at a small table in the back
of the seating area, his work station sprawled out across a
three person table. He is stylistically typing on an old
typewriter. There is high quality calligraphy/letter writing
paraphernalia precisely placed all over the table.
JACK
That’s him.
They walk over to the Hipster.
HIPSTER
One moment, darlings.
The trio stands in front of his makeshift work station
awkwardly waiting for him to finish the letter he’s working
on. He removes a freshly typed letter from the typewriter,
folds it into perfect thirds, and places it into a
heavyweight envelope. He takes his time sealing the letter
with a wax seal. After blowing the seal dry, the Hipster
reaches over to a PA microphone that is apparently wired
into the shop’s speaker system. He CLICKS THE BUTTON and
BEGINS ANNOUNCING.
HIPSTER
Mr. Smith, your “Divorce Request”
is finished. You may pick it up at
your leisure (pronounce
“lezshure”). Also: Steven, I’m
running low on Chai. That is all.
The Hipster sets the microphone base back down on the table
and turns to look at the trio.
HIPSTER
And what small kindness may I do
for you folks today?
JACK
One sign-off, please.
HIPSTER
Very well. One moment, darlings.
The Hipster stands and walks over to a small side table with
a turntable sitting on it. The Hipster finger-walks his way
through a small crate of vinyl records and pulls one out. He
carefully removes the record and places it on the turntable.
He slowly DROPS THE NEEDLE and MUSIC BEGINS TO PLAY over the
shop speakers.
The Hipster returns to his chair.
HIPSTER
Alright, who might I be addressing
this to?
CUT TO:
INT. CHAIN COFFEE SHOP. DAY. CLOSE-UP MONTAGE.
A short close-up montage of the letter process ensues: a la
Shawn of the Dead. A close-up of words being typed on paper.
Paper being rapidly pulled from the typewriter. A
calligraphy pen being assembled. A hand scrawling a
calligraphy signature on the bottom of a letter. A close-up
of a finger creasing a paper fold. A heavyweight envelope
being stuffed with a letter. A lighter melting a stick of
wax. A seal being applied to hot wax.
CUT TO:
INT. CHAIN COFFEE SHOP. DAY.
The trio stand in front of the Hipster who is blowing the
wax seal dry. He finishes and hands Jack his letter.
HIPSTER
I assumed you’d want to address it.
The Hipster hands Jack a pen. We pause on a full-frame the
letter.
HIPSTER
That’ll be twenty dollars. When
you’ve finished, you can put it in
the outgoing mail bin.
The Hipster points to a tray labeled “Outgoing”. Jack places
his letter in the tray. Jack digs into his pocket and digs
out a few dollars — he looks pitiful. Thad pulls out his
billfold and tosses a twenty dollar bill onto the table.
HIPSTER
(nodding)
Shalom, my friends.
The trio turns away and starts for the door. A GUNMAN
dressed in an all black suit stands up on his chair and
starts YELLING IN FRENCH. The trio keep walking for the
door.
GUNMAN
Je suis ici pour informer ces temps
modernes de la fin de l’ère
grammaticale et la hauteur de
flamboyance en particulier dans le
cinéma! (I am here to inform these
modern times of the end of the
grammatical era and the height of
flamboyance especially in cinema!)
The trio walk out the door into the parking lot. Inside a
GUN FIRES TWICE and everything falls QUIET. The trio stop
walking and pause just before entering the parking lot in
order to hear what’s happening. After a short silence, a
JOYOUS CHEER ERUPTS from the coffee shop.
THAD
Something tells me your letter may
be slightly delayed, Jack…
The trio resume walking toward the car.
INT. SMALL CAR. AFTERNOON.
The trio are once again in the car. They are parked in the
parking lot of the coffee shop. Thad STARTS THE CAR and
SHIFTS INTO REVERSE.
THAD
Well…Life sucks and then you
die…let’s get on with it.
Thad looks over his shoulder and starts pulling out of the
parking space.
INT. SMALL CAR. NIGHT.
The trio has been driving for several hours. Jess YAWNS.
They are all getting tired. Thad looks over at Jess who
makes a hand-motion suggesting they should sleep. Thad nods
in agreement and pulls the car into the parking lot of a
hotel and SHIFTS INTO PARK. Jack perks up, getting ready to
get out of the car. Thad and Jess both lay their seats back
and close their eyes. Jack slowly nods in I shoulda known
acknowledgment and attempts to make himself comfortable in
the back seat with all the stuff they packed. He struggles
for a moment and settles on an obviously uncomfortable
position. Jack closes his eyes.