I wrote out a scene that occurred in my mindspace early this morning. Part of this I had to focus on to truly hear the intent. I’m still not sure it communicates the complexity of the feelings and it’s a really simple interaction, but somewhat heart warming. Enjoy.
*Note that this involves the Twins – which you can see an image of from this post.
EXT. MINDSPACE - THE VOID
FADE IN:
Soft crying is echoing from the blackness. A little girl is sitting and holding her knees to her chest crying.
LOVED
What’s the matter, little one?
LITTLE
(sniffling) I don’t feel good.
LOVED
Why not? What happened? Is it your tummy?
LITTLE
No...you hurt me.
LITTLE stretches out her small leg which is covered in cuts.
LOVED
Oh...baby girl...
From the VOID a low and stern voice sharply vocalizes
DISRUPTED
Don’t call her that.
LOVED
(cautiously) Oh...kay. Well, LITTLE, this wasn’t me.
It was someone else...
LOVED looks towards the void searching.
Would it help if I gave you a back rub?
LITTLE
No… I want to color and have fun. No one ever
wants to play with me. Will you color with me?
LOVED
Oh, um, sure! How about we go up to the cabin
and break out those cool magic crayons you
like so much?
LITTLE nods and gets up. They hold hands on the way to the cabin.
FADE OUT
-----------------------
INT. MINDSPACE - CABIN
FADE IN
LOVED sits down at cabin table and colors with LITTLE by a crackling fireplace. LOVED gently rubs LITTLE’s back with one hand and pushes LITTLE’s hair aside.
DISRUPTED appears, staring quietly, from the doorway shrouded in shadow. Without turning LOVED speaks to DISRUPTED.
LOVED
You can come in and join us you know. Just
put the sharp objects and noose away, please.
DISRUPTED does not move.
LOVED
Can I ask? Why did you do this anyway? It
wasn’t out of need, like other times.. you
just wanted to hurt us. To make it visible.
I get doing it to me, or any of us... but,
to her?
LOVED motions towards LITTLE.
DISRUPTED does not move and stares blankly.
LOVED
Yeah, I get it. It’s hard. It’s hard on all
of us. But I’m extending an olive branch here.
I’m sorry, okay? We’re all so sorry we had you
locked away.. but you’ve got to admit, you’re
pretty fucking intimidating.
LITTLE looks up for a moment, then goes back to coloring bouncing her legs on her chair. The sound of crackling fire and crayons moving back and forth persists through the silence.
After a long pause:
DISRUPTED
They needed to know. They don’t know. And
they should suffer. Like I do. I don’t want
them to forget, ever.
LOVED partially turns to face DISRUPTED.
LOVED
Wait, who should suffer? The people who
love us? We don’t even show them our suffering -
unless... you wanted us to? The cuts wouldn’t
make any sense to them, hun...they wouldn't get
the why behind it. And besides, it’s really not
the best way to communicate that...
LOVED pauses.
DISRUPTED stares blankly.
So, then, is it that you want us to suffer? To
remember what happened? You want the others here
to remember?
DISRUPTED
You all forgot. You forgot about me because you
didn’t want to remember. You hate me and you
don’t even know why.
DISRUPTED’s grip tightens revealing the short blade she holds.
That’s fine, I hate you all too for being so
fucking blind. For ignoring me all these years.
So, I think I deserve a little payback don’t I?
LOVED sits quietly observing LITTLE draw.
After a long pause:
LOVED
I guess that makes sense. And I don’t know about
the others, but, I don’t hate you, I just don’t
know you. I didn’t even know you were here.
Ignorance is no excuse, I know. But I really am
deeply sorry.
DISRUPTED scoffs
I’m so sorry you were locked up, alone, with no
one to play with, and no one to understand your
pain. No one to show you kindness or love...
DISRUPTED turns away and moves to a dark corner of the room.
Look, I’m here now. And you are still part of our
life here, we want things to be different. You’re
welcome here, we want you here...with us.
DISRUPTED trembles.
I know it’s not much and we have a lot of work to
do to make up for what’s done. But, I don’t know,
we gotta start somewhere...
LOVED turns to face DISRUPTED.
Sooo...do you want to color with us?
(O.C) A soft knock raps on the trap door beneath the craft table. LOVED and LITTLE shift their chairs out of the way and LOVED pulls up the door to see a smudge-faced unkempt girl staring up at them from below.
SILENT
Hey.
LOVED
Oh, hey! It’s been a while. I’ve been trying to
get your twin to join us. LITTLE and I are having
a magic crayon party. You want in?
LITTLE
Look!
LITTLE holds up her magically animated drawing for the group to see. It is a drawing of the four of them in the room. The hearth, outlined in magic crayon, flickers off of the paper. In the picture, LOVED drinks tea at the table and watches LITTLE draw. DISRUPTED comfortably leans against a door, her arms crossed. And SILENT is sitting on the sofa, intensely playing a handheld video game.
LOVED and SILENT smile at the drawing and DISRUPTED slightly cranes her neck from the shadows to peek.
LOVED helps SILENT up from the trap door and she joins them at the table. LITTLE hands out supplies; magic crayons and paper.
After a pause, DISRUPTED quietly sets down her tools on the sofa and takes a cautious seat at the table. LITTLE gently pushes over some crayons and paper and they continue to draw for some time, occasionally complimenting each others work.
FADE OUT
END