Lesson 13

[Megan Schemenauer]

Megan’s Act 2 Reaction to TP 1

What I learned doing this assignment is… that the protagonist’s reaction to the Act 1 turning point is the first time they start to feel uncomfortable in their own environment, in their own skin. I feel like I had already started working on this reaction scene previous to this lesson (Anna’s drive to work and coffeeshop scene), so I just completed the missing scenes shortly after the Act 1 turning point.

INT. ANNA’S LIVING ROOM — EVENING

Anna walks in the front door. David is standing over the stove making dinner. Luke sits on the floor in the living room playing with colorful plastic blocks.

David

Hey! You’re home!

ANNA

Hi, honey.

Anna distractedly takes off her coat and hangs it in the hall closet.

DAVID

How was the doctor’s appointment?

Anna is so caught up in her own thoughts that she doesn’t hear him. After a moment, David sets down the serving spoon and tries again.

DAVID

Anna?

ANNA

Hmm?

DAVID

Everything okay?

Anna crosses into the kitchen and gives David a quick peck on the cheek.

ANNA

I’m fine. Everything’s fine.

DAVID

What did the doctor have to say?

ANNA

I’m pregnant.

There is a moment of deafening silence as David stares at Anna in shock. Then a slow smile spreads across David’s face.

DAVID

You’re pregnant? We’re pregnant??

Anna smiles weakly.

ANNA

Yeah. I guess we are.

David wraps his arms around Anna’s waist ecstatically, pulling her in for a bear hug. From the expression on her face, Anna is clearly far away.

DAVID

Did you hear that, Luke? You’re getting a brother or a sister!

After a moment, David notices Anna’s lack of enthusiasm and pulls back.

DAVID

Please tell me I’m not the only one excited about this.

ANNA

Oh, honey, of course I’m excited. I’m just . . . tired. I think I’m going to go lie down if that’s okay.

DAVID

You don’t want any dinner?

ANNA

No. I just . . . I need to lie down.

Anna exits the room, David’s worried eyes following her.

INT. ANNA’S BEDROOM — NIGHT

Anna is lying in bed on her side, facing away from the door when David enters. He crosses to the bed, quickly sheds his clothing, and slides into bed under the blankets behind her, wrapping his arms around her.

DAVID

I got Luke in bed.

Anna doesn’t respond. David tries again, kissing the side of her neck.

DAVID

He missed saying good night to you.

ANNA

I’m sorry, honey. Thanks for taking care of him.

DAVID

Always. I’m more than happy to take care of this next one too.

Anna rolls over to face David.

ANNA

How did I get such great guy?

DAVID

Luck.

Anna smiles weakly. David studies her.

DAVID

Come on. What’s wrong? Really.

Anna rolls away to avoid his searching eyes.

ANNA

Did I tell you I met the Vice President today?

DAVID

You did?

ANNA

She came to the museum.

DAVID

Wow. That’s kind of a big deal. You’re kind of a big deal, aren’t you?

ANNA

Not hardly.

DAVID

Well, better the Vice President than the President.

Anna rolls toward David, mildly intrigued.

ANNA

Why do you say that?

DAVID

To be honest, I’ve never really liked President Harris.

ANNA

Why?

DaVID

I don’t know why. There’s just something about her I don’t trust.

The silence hangs in the air as Anna stares up at the ceiling. David studies her.

DAVID

Sorry if that bothers you. I know she’s kind of like a hero to you.

ANNA

It’s fine. You deserve to have your own opinion. It’s a free country.

Anna rolls over, her back to David.

DAVID

Okay then. Good night?

ANNA

Good night.

[Wendy Locke]

ACT 2 Scene 1 Outline

Scene 1

Beginning: Michele is driving the tour bus for the band.

Middle: At a concert and she scans the audience but no sign of her kids.

End: At hotel bar Dean checks up on Michele. Dean discovers the ring.

ACT 2 SCENE 1

INT. TOUR BUS – MORNING

Keith and Ezra wake in the bus at a hotel
parking lot outside a Marriott Residence inn.

KEITH

Hey, Ez.

EZRA

(sleepily)

Huh..what?

KEITH

Do you remember anything looking like this the
last time we were here?

(beat)

This is not the hotel we are supposed to be at.

EZRA

No…

KEITH

Great! She has us completely lost and we are due
at the school in two hours.

EZRA

Prefect.

(looks out window)

Hey, here she comes.

Michele enters van.

KEITH

Okay, where are we?

MICHELE

That is a trick question, right?

KEITH

You got us lost didn’t you.

MICHELE

(to Ezra)

Does your friend always wake up in such a
chipper mood?

EZRA

Well…

KEITH

We don’t have time to be lost right now.

MICHELE

We are not lost. I got breakfast while I checked
us in so we could get there early.

Michele hands the food out, but as she gives
Keith’s his she holds on to it until he looks up at her.

MICHELE (CONT’D)

Good morning Sunshine.

(beat)

While you two were off in slumber land I found
the school, then tried to locate the hotel that some dweeb booked 15 miles from
here. At this hotel we are only fifteen minutes from the school.

EZRA

Keith? Didn’t you make the reservations?

MICHELE

Yes, he did. I will be handling that from here.

KEITH

That is not fair!

Keith slumps back into chair obviously defeated.

MICHELE

(to Ezra)

Tell your friend to take a chill pill. My job is
to see that the two of you make it to your shows safe and on time. Apparently
this now will include all hotel reservations.

EZRA

(opens container)

Hey, cool, how did you know I liked bacon and
sausage on my burrito.

INT. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – DAY

Michele peers through the curtain at the vast
sea of children as the band plays, while continually rubbing her eyes in an
effort to stay awake.

INT. HOTEL LIVING ROOM – NIGHT

Michele sneaks around the living area in an
effort not to wake the guys as she opens her lap top computer and access her
e-mail that is flooded with sarcastic memes from Dean.

MICHELE

What the heck is all this stuff? This is what he
considers “pertinent information”?

Types e-mail back to Dean. She whispers the
words as she writes.

MICHELE (CONT’D)

Dean, one of two things are going on here. One;
you have nothing better to do with your time than harass people with junk
e-mail, or Two; you simply do not have a clue. What I need is real information
to help me find what I am looking for. In other words, PLEASE DO YOUR
JOB!!

MICHELE (CONT’D)

(tears welling up)

Please tell me this is a bad dream.

EXT. CONCERT ARENA – NIGHT

Michele scans the crowd while the band plays…
her kids are not seen anywhere

EXT. OVERHEAD SHOT OF VAN DRIVING DOWN THE
HIGHWAY – DAY

INT. BAR – NIGHT

Michele sits at the bar while the band is at a
table close by.

Dean enters disguised as a rough biker person he
approaches the bar and stands on opposite side of chair next to Michele.
Michele is slouched in her chair with a distant gaze on her face as she stares
at the wall behind the BARTENDER.

BARTENDER

(to Dean)

What can I get for you?

DEAN

Give me what she is having.

BARTENDER

Are you sure?

DEAN

Uh, yeah.

BARTENDER

(shaking head)

Ok buddy, you asked for it.

DEAN

(to Michele)

Mind if I sit?

MICHELE

Well….

DEAN

If you let me I promise not to e-mail any more
bad jokes.

MICHELE

Dean??

(looks around to see if anyone is watching)

What are you doing here?

DEAN

Checking up on you. You know, making sure you
are working as hard as I am. It looks to me like you got the cushy end of the
assignment. Hanging out places and listening to good music.

Bartender places drink in front of Dean, he
takes a sip.

DEAN (CONT’D)

Ughk! What is this stuff?

MICHELE

Grapefruit juice and tomato juice. It is
something I learned long ago. It usually keeps idiots away from me when they
ask some stupid pick up line like “I’ll have what she is having”

DEAN

I see how effective it can be.

MICHELE

No information yet?

DEAN

Not yet. I do know that you are headed in the
right direction.

MICHELE

What’s that supposed to mean?

DEAN

Well, I know that the Krensha have a lot of
family in the Colorado area that we keep an eye on.

MICHELE

Oh great! Sunshine and T-Rex are not scheduled
there until the middle of next week.

DEAN

Whoa, do I detect a bit of animosity? Sounds as
if we are not playing well with others.

MICHELE

More like playing in the wrong sandbox.

DEAN

(points to chess set)

Speaking of playing… you want to?

MICHELE

As long as you don’t cheat.

DEAN

Never, but I’m not going to let you win either.

MICHELE

In other words, I will have no problem beating
you.

Michele laughs loudly enough that the band hears
her. As Michele and Dean talk they are playing chess as if they have played
together for years.

KEITH

(To Ezra)

Boy, does she have bad taste in men.

Dean spots the RING on Michele’s thumb. It is
white gold and has ORIENTAL CHARACTERS on it.

DEAN

OOH, wait a minute.

MICHELE

What?

DEAN

Your ring, where did you get it?

MICHELE

Oh, that. It was given to me by Emmett Tyson
just before he died. He was the FBI insider during the take down of the
Krensha.

DEAN

Can I look at it?

Michele takes off the ring and hands it to Dean, he looks at it with curiosity.

MICHELE

He never said why he was giving it to me other
than that it was special to him and I should keep it safe.

DEAN

I remember reading about him. He was their
accountant.

MICHELE

On the day of the bust he was to hand over the
information to Mr. Kren to access the overseas account.

DEAN

Hmmm

MICHELE

Apparently it must have been a really large
account because Mr. Kren wanted to personally pick up the information himself.

DEAN

Was the information ever found?

MICHELE

No. The only thing we could guess is that his
brother got off with it before we could catch him.

DEAN

These are Japanese characters, but they don’t
make any sense.

MICHELE

You can read that?

DEAN

Of course.

(sarcastically)

To truly know your target, you must know
everything you possibly can. I spent a large time studying their language.

MICHELE

Well… a spark of real intelligence. I studied
the culture only. Back then they did not use their native language. You know,
trying to maintain a low profile, look as American as possible.

DEAN

I will check into this more tomorrow. Let me see
if I can make any sense of this.

MICHELE

You loose that and you will loose your life!

Dean puts ring in his pocket. Michele glowers at
him. Michele moves queen into a spot where it puts Dean’s king in checkmate.

MICHELE (CONT’D)

Checkmate!

DEAN

Hey! That is not fair! You cheated.

MICHELE

No cheating dear, just the rules of the game.
You were not paying attention.

Dean acts as if he is about to attack Michele.
Keith and Ezra walk up.

EZRA

(to Dean)

Can we help you?

DEAN

Err, no.

KEITH

I suggest you leave her alone or I’m gonna’ sick
Ez’ here on you.

MICHELE

Wow! Chivalry is not dead.

EZRA

GO AWAY!

MICHELE

Yeah, go away you ugly excuse of a human

DEAN

That’s it. No more Mr. Nice guy. Loads and loads
of bad jokes.

KEITH AND EZRA

GGGRRRR!

Dean scurries away.

MICHELE

(to Keith)

So I guess that this means that I have to like
you now….eh?

KEITH

Grrr.

MICHELE

Geez, no one said that you had to like me

[Lisa Long]

Lisa Long’s Act 2 Reaction to TP 1 (Mama getting her power back)

What I learned doing this assignment is… This information needs to be shared.

Mindshift – First Draft was, 1997. Registration copyright: PAu-4-056-820 – November 27th 2020.

INT. FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, ALHAMBRA – DAY: FIRST CHURCH

Sitting in the chapel with Norma, the children fidget as the Hell and damnation preacher spews dark red mist.

BAPTIST MINISTER

Repent! Jesus suffered and died for your sins.

NORMA

Quit squiring. Sit still. Be quiet.

BUDDY

This is boring, I want to go.

CINDY

Yah, Mom. This is boring.

BAPTIST MINISTER

If you don’t God will strike you down and you will burn in Hell forever!

Lisa starts crying and shaking, she sees the darkness and some of it covers her. She is afraid.

INT. BIG HOUSE/GIRLS BDRM – DAY: ESCAPING OUT OF BODY

Lisa falling asleep, starting to travel out of body, demons chasing. Getting tangles in electric wires, struggling to get thru them. Trying again, using hills to get a running start. Harder and harder to fly and get past the wires.

Chased by goblins and monsters, sometimes they were in the house, down the halls…

INT. SIERRA VISTA ELEM. SCH/BIBLE SCHOOL- DAY: EVIL

Picked up from school. Two dark evil people and six small children sitting on floor in half circle in front of them.

DEVOTE RELIGIOUS MAN

People go to hell and burn forever if they are not baptized.

LISA

What about small babies?

DEVOTE RELIGIOUS LADY

Small babies go to hell if they aren’t baptized.

LISA

(crying)

Nah ah. You are wrong..

Unbaptized Lisa goes home sobbing. Tells Norma.

EXT. BIG HOUSE/KITCHEN – DAY: MAMA CALLS DARK PEOPLE

NORMA

How dare you tell small children that that they are going to burn in hell forever. What horse shit. I’m reporting you! You can take your religious crap and shove it up your ass.

Lisa never goes back. She watches children still get picked up from the playground on Thursday’s.

INT. BIG HOUSE/PARENTS CLOSET – DAY: MIRRORS

Lisa, standing in the passage way between her room and her parents room. The closet doors are covered with facing mirrors. Lisa fades into multiple versions of herself, smaller and smaller, always repeating, to infinity. She knows it means something…

EXT. BIG HOUSE/FRONT PORCH – DAY: MAMA FIRING ELEPHANT RIFE

Norma on one of her drunk rampages, bitching about John, grabs her elephant gun (a real one) and runs out onto the front porch. The girls crying follow her out… begging her to stop.

NORMA

I might as well just blow my fuck’n brains out.

Norma points the gun into the air above the hill in the distance.

LISA

Mama, NO! You might hit someone.

Norma fires anyway… the recoil pushes her back. She holds it steady, and looks a bit relieved. She turns and goes back into the house with her girls following.

[Chris Dorsey]

Chris Dorsey’s Act 2 Reaction to the Turning Point

What I learned doing this assignment is that doing this particular assignment helped me rearrange a few things and add new things to the script.

Concept — When an innocent man is incarcerated with some of the country’s most dangerous psychopaths, he must rely on/embrace his voices/his mental illness to win his freedom.

Main Conflict — The Antagonist and the system try to shut up, stop, and eventually kill the Protagonist, because the Protagonist is a threat to the prison’s status quo — SURVIVAL.

Old Ways — Avoidant/hiding (hiding his own MH symptoms), super helpful and optimistic, Polly Anna-ish. Connects with others but through his “silver lining” approach.

New Ways — Empathetic/connects to others on a real level, group leader, courageous, fights for the rights of mentally-ill inmates.

THEME (add): Fair and humane treatment of the mentally ill. Good verses evil and the apathetic. Overcoming challenges to heal and/or live with a mental illness; acceptance and healing.

BEAT SHEET

ACT I

INT/EXT. PRISON GATE – DAY

The sign outside reads: “XXX [insert].”

OPENING: A caged bus transports Wilbert McNutt and a dozen inmates through the prison gates. Wilbert, unlike the other inmates, is wearing a straight jacket. He’s also relaxed and smiling. The other inmates keep their distance.

INT. SHOWERS – LATER

Wilbert showers by himself. Another inmate enters and checks him out. Wilbert smiles, uncomfortable, then turns to the side to hide his private parts.

INT. INMATE BARBER SHOP – LATER

Wilbert gets a haircut from the PRISON BARBERS. It’s the worst haircut he’s ever gotten. His bangs cut down to the nub, his sides kept longer. The Barbers hand in a mirror to Wilbert and laugh at his reaction. He begrudgingly thanks the Barbers for the haircut.

INT. LARGE ROOM – LATER

Beginning: Wilbert starts chatting to another new, mental health inmate. The other inmate gives him some tips on how to stay safe and survive prison.

Middle: Antagonist Beat #1: Meets Wilbert McNutt in intake. The Antagonist stares at another inmate (his new roommate) and other inmate drops dead on the spot — “if looks could kill?” The officers are slow to respond. The officers give in and give the Antagonist a cell of his own.

End: He gets shouted at by the DEPUTY WARDEN for asking too many questions. Wilbert might be responding to a voice in his head. The officer responds, “I wasn’t talking to you, McNutt. And, by the way that has to be the dumbest haircut I’ve ever scene. No wonder you’re here.”

INT. MEDICAL UNIT, EXAMINATION ROOM – DAY

Wilbert undergoes a medical/psychiatric evaluation. He’s on medications to help control his voices. The PSYCHITRIST goes over Wilbert’s mental health and criminal history.

Beginning:

Middle:

End:

INT. CELLBLOCK – DAY

PLACEHOLDER: Insert dorm scene where another inmate jumps off the second floor and lands on the ground right in front of Wilbert. ALPHA DOG (aka A-DOG), another building sociopath, seems to somehow be responsible for this.

TE1: Wilbert witnesses the Alpha Dog, and his group, rev-up another mental health inmate before this inmate freaks out. The inmate is cuffed and hauled off by the officers. He realizes that mental health treatment might be the last thing he’s going to receive in this prison.

Antagonist Beat #2: He takes on the current dorm alpha dog and wins. He takes over the dorm businesses and lays down the law to his “workers.”

PLACEHOLDER: Snapshot — “He [the Antagonist] did this at another prison… Stay away from him.”

PLACEHOLDER: Wilbert seeks legal advice to have his case appealed.

INT. CELLBLOCK – DAY

PLACEHOLDER: Wilbert settles into the unit and the routine. The do’s and don’t’s, how it works, and the calm before the storm.

Beginning: Wilbert eats an awful tasting breakfast, but he puts a positive spin on it. “Why do they put all the jackers in the kitchen?” “Jackers?” “Yes…”

Middle: [insert] a funny scene, like DR court or Warden & Deputy Warden rounds.

Middle: His cellmate/sidekick casually tells Wilbert what different people havE been convicted of — “Him over there, he ate a bunch of people… That one over there, he was a cult leader. The feds burnt down his compound, but he managed to escape. Stay away from him, he’ll try to recruit you to his new “religious” discussion group. It gets worse as it goes on. “Like him, what did he do?” He can’t hear you… toothpaste in his ears.

End: Lights out. Wilbert goes to sleep. He sighs to himself; today wasn’t that bad.

INT. CELLBLOCK – NEXT MORNING

PLACEHOLDER: “6:00 AM” appears on the screen. A loud siren wakes Wilbert out of his sleep. He sits up in his bed in shock.

INT./EXT. ANTAGONIST’S CELL – DAY

PLACEHOLDER: Wilbert witnesses the Antagonist slap around another inmate.

Beginning: Wilbert hears some commotion and stops outside the Antagonist’s cell. The Antagonist has another inmate by the collar. He slaps the inmate across the face.

Middle: Wilbert slips away without being seen.

End: Wilbert approaches the slapped inmate later. The inmate asks Wilbert to help him.

INT. COUNSELING OFFICE – DAY

INCITING INCIDENT: Wilbert “snitches” to his therapist that the Antagonist is bullying and causing harm to other inmates in the dorm.

Shortly after, the Antagonist gets cuffed and hauled off to the Isolation Unit. He threatens to kill whomever ratted him out. Wilbert reluctantly, and with the help of the voice,

Beginning: Wilbert’s voice talks him into meeting with his Mental Health Counselor.

Middle: Wilbert tells him about what the Antagonist is doing in the dorm; drugs, prostitution, and other misdeeds.

End: The Mental Health Counselor assures Wilbert that this will be investigated and the Antagonist will most likely be transferred to general population at another prison.

PLACEHOLDER: The CAPTAIN investigates the allegations against the Antagonist.

Beginning: He reviews camera footage, but sees nothing. He tells his Lieutenant to investigate further.

Middle: The Captain reviews statements — “He’s a great guy.” “No issues here.” “If I don’t get statements.”

End: The Captain captures something on video that no one else sees.

INT. CELLBLOCK – DAY

Beginning: The CERT Unit storms the dorm. The Antagonist puts up a fight, takes a couple of hits from the shock shield, but eventually goes down.

Middle: The Antagonist is told to say goodbye for good to all the inmates in the dorm. He’s going to general population at the most dangerous prison in the state — “You’re being transferred to…” The Antagonist’s eyes go wide in fear. His days of taking advantage of others is over.

End: The Antagonist is cuffed and dragged out of the dorm kicking and screaming — “…but I am crazy!” The Antagonist assaults the officers before he is cuffed. The dorm celebrates. The slapped inmate mouths “thank you” to Wilbert. Wilbert smiles back at him.

INT./EXT. ISOLATION CELL – NIGHT

Beginning: The Antagonist paces the cell. He hears a noise outside his cell and sees the nurse giving out pills. He shouts out to the nurse and gets an insult in return.

Middle: He notices someone; the staff Psychiatrist. He calls the “visiting” psychiatrist over and spins a bullshit story to the psychiatrist. He charms, fakes symptoms, and even makes a veiled threat to commit suicide.

End: The Psychiatrist considers for a moment. The Antagonist’s found the right sucker. The Antagonist smiles to himself.

PLACEHOLDER: Instead of being transferred to another prison, the Antagonist manipulates his way back onto the cellblock. An additional 5 years have been added to his time and he is out for blood. Wilbert realizes the system is broken and the guards are in on it.

Turning Point: The Antagonist is released back into the dorm.

INT. CELLBLOCK – MORNING

Beginning: It’s calm in the dorm. Inmates are smiling, drinking coffee, and talking/joking around with each other. Two inmates chase each other playing grab-ass.

Middle: There’s a commotion outside. Smiles disappear from the inmates standing closest to the dorm’s entrance. Jaws drop and they stand in stunned silence shaking there heads.

End: The Antagonist walks back into the cellblock with a triumphant but sinister smile on his face. The rest of the inmates go silent. Wilbert slowly backs into his cell.

ACT II

Placeholder: Wilbert, his cellmate, and the victim of the Protagonist’s slap try to figure out what the hell happened. The victim of the slap has concerns that the Antagonist is going to find out that he and Wilbert causes the Antagonist to almost get transferred.

INT. WILBERT’S CELL – LATER

Beginning: Wilbert, his cellmate, and the victim of the slap try to figure out what happened between last night and this morning that led to the Antagonist’s release.

Middle: The victim of the slap has already heard word that the Antagonist is possibly going to be sentenced to an additional 5 years of prison time for his assaulted on the prison officers the day before.

End: Wilbert says he caused the problem, so he’ll have to fix it.

INT. CELLBLOCK – LATER

The Antagonist threatens the rest of the inmates “I’m too smart for all of you. So, don’t try it. And I will figure who ratted me out.”

Beginning: Wilbert

Middle:

End:

INT. ANTAGONIST’S CELL – NIGHT

Placeholder: Wilbert is going to win the Antagonist over at any cost. He is going to kill the Antagonist with kindness.

Beginning: Wilbert sheepishly knocks on the Antagonist’s door.

Middle: Wilbert compliments the Antagonist and hits the Antagonist with his optimistic way of looking at the world.

End: Wilbert agrees to represent the Antagonist to DR court. “If only there was someone smart enough to talk them out of shoving five years up my ass. Wilbert tells the Antagonist he’s going to ask the Deputy Warden if he can be there.

INT. PRISON COURT ROOM – DAY

Beginning: Wilbert sits in a chair in the court with a Deputy Warden. The Sergeant explains Wilbert’s role in DR Court.

Middle: Wilbert successfully gets two inmates off from receiving disciplinary sentences. Bee in the pants — “I think that’s plausible.” And contraband case.

End: Officers gather outside the court expecting the Antagonist to go bananas once he’s found guilty and sentenced to an addition five years. Wilbert talks the Warden out of adding an additional five (5) years onto the Antagonist’s time. The Antagonist hugs Wilbert. The other inmates give Wilbert new found respect.

PLACEHOLDER: Wilbert in therapy and resistant to tackling his issues.

PLACEHOLDER: DR COURT. Wilbert is asked to stand in as a Peer Advocate. “Hey, McNutt, we need…” Bee in the pants — “I think that’s plausible.”

PLACEHOLDER: The mop.

INT. CELLBLOCK, UPPER TIER – NIGHT

Beginning: A jacker with glaucoma tells Wilbert to move because he’s blocking his view.

Middle: Wilbert and his sidekick look around to look for the pretty officer with blond hair. They see no one.

End: It’s a mop.

PLACEHOLDER: Jumper scene.

PLACEHOLDER: Store trip/goods process.

PLACEHOLDER: Tossing cells for contraband.

New plan — Win the Antagonist over at any cost.

Wilbert has to handle/fix this situation himself.

Plan in action — He is going to kill the Antagonist with kindness. He’s going to ignore the voices in his head.

Antagonist Beat #3: Investigates/interrogates other inmates to see who ratted him out.

INT. CELLBLOCK – NIGHT

PLACEHOLDER — Wilbert uses self-help techniques with the other inmates in his circle.

Antagonist Beat #4: Shuts Wilbert down/argues with during group therapy.

INT. THERAPIST’S OFFICE – DAY

PLACEHOLDER: A therapy session to challenge Wilbert’s defense mechanisms. Wilbert expressed concerns that his medications are keeping him from living a real life.

INT. AUDITORIUM – DAY

The Antagonist requests Wilbert be transferred to his cell.

INT. CELLBLOCK – MORNING

PLACEHOLDER: Wilbert stops taking his psychiatric medications and his voices slowly shift from nice and manageable to mean and out of control.

Midpoint Turning Point: The Antagonist tries to kill Wilbert.

INT. ANTAGONIST’S CELL — NIGHT

The Antagonist manipulates Wilbert in to fessing up to snitching on the Antagonist. The Antagonist goes berserk and strangles Wilbert almost to death. Wilbert is saved by the other inmates. The Antagonist goes back to “the hole.”

Wilbert seeks external legal help for protection after this event. He also asks for his case to be appealed.

TE 3: Wilbert stops taking his medications and learns his auditory hallucinations may actually help him survive in prison.

TE 4: Wilbert uncovers evidence that could lead to his conviction being overturned in the appeals process.

TE 5: Wilbert gets shanked in the back.

PLACEHOLDER: The voices start telling/making Wilbert do bad things. It gets him some respect but also gets him sent to “the hole.”

Antagonist Beat #5: Manipulates Wilbert, through Wilbert’s auditory hallucinations, to turn on the other inmates.

INT. LAW LIBRARY – DAY

PLACEHOLDER: Wilbert researches case law for his appeal.

PLACEHOLDER: A newly assigned pro bono attorney responds to one of Wilbert’s letters and meets him in person.

ACT 3:

Antagonist Beat #7: Plots to kill Wilbert by someone else’s hands and to make it look like an accident. Wilbert, by dumb luck alone, escapes these attempts.

Rethink everything — He discovers that acknowledging one’s own pain, instead of being in denial, and “getting real” is the only way he will ever be able to defeat the Antagonist.

New plan — Wilbert realizes that the voices in his head (i.e. Auditory hallucinations) are actually there to help him. He embraces the voices and he taps into his bad side.

Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift — His bad voice takes control and forces him to fail.

INT. VISITATION ROOM – DAY

TE 6: After his friend dies (by suicide or homicide), he discovers that prison staff (i.e. Guards and the Warden) are purposefully putting his life at risk and covering up other crimes/inhumane treatment of inmates.

Antagonist Beat #6: Manipulates the mental health and prison staff to stay in the mental health dorm when others point out that he may not be mentally ill. Bribes others.

INT. THERAPIST’S OFFICE – DAY

TE 7: Wilbert has a breakthrough in therapy that helps him discover why he is the way he is — he’s too nice. This is the information he needs for his internal transformation. He learns that he developed a reactionary set of coping mechanisms from loss that no longer suit him.

PLACEHOLDER: He discovers that acknowledging one’s own pain, instead of being in denial, and “getting real” is the only way he will ever be able to defeat the Antagonist.

INT. CELBBLOCK – DAY

TE 8: Wilbert verbally calls out the Antagonist in front of the whole cellblock. With more than half of the inmates in the dorm on Wilbert’s side, Wilbert spells out and challenges all of the Antagonists warped ways of thinking and behaviors. The Antagonist challenges Wilbert to a fight to the death.

ACT 4:

CLIMAX: Wilbert fights the Antagonist in mortal combat and beats the Antagonist. He realizes that somewhere in the middle, between overly positive voices and bad voices, is where he should be. He spares the Antagonist’s life. He exposes the corrupt prison system and makes the corruption public (through either a counselor or another outside source).

INT. PRISON YARD – NIGHT

RESOLUTION: Wilbert wins his freedom and does a press conference. With his new found confidence, is able to confront his ex-wife, win his children back, and take control of his life in a real and meaningful way. He starts an organization to help incarcerated inmate with mental health disorders.

EXT. PRISON GROOUNDS – DAY

Wilbert tells his story to the news.

INT. COURT – DAY

Wilbert is granted a divorce and keeps his house. He is granted half-custody of his two children.

INT. OFFICE – DAY

Wilbert opens his office and welcomes his new employees; ex-inmates with mental health disorders.

[Kevin Ash]

Kevin’s Act 2 Reaction to TP 1

What I learned from this assignment is that I combined the immediate reaction to the turning point into the turning point scene, but it goes deeper, so I went beyond and made it even deeper in the following scenes.

INT. WAYNE MANOR – NIGHT

Bruce is on his treadmill, sucking on green goo, and looking at a complex grid on a virtual screen in front of him. Ali is standing at a console with rows of statistics in front of her.

BRUCE

Allison, how does this work again? I know we developed this, but…

Ali walks over in front of him and swipes her hand in front of his face. The screen swipes away and is replaced by another.

ALI

Honestly Uncle Bruce, how did you get so out of the loop? Just swipe in front of your face and poke holes in what you want to key in. A child can do it.

BRUCE

A child who grew up with technology. I grew up with dial phones and green stamps.

ALI

And developed hi tech gear to save the planet over and over with my Uncle Alfred. Cry me a river!

BRUCE

Okay, fine. Just help me out here, I’m detoxing and drinking your green crap aren’t I?

Ali stops what she’s doing and looks at him, sweating and chugging.

ALI

Two things. This ultimatum from the Joker. It’s not about airlines. Nothing here is vulnerable or out of line, and hijacking is too small scale for his threat. There must be something else we’re missing.

BRUCE

That’s one thing, and I agree, but his clues don’t match anything else. Military maybe? What’s the second thing?

ALI

You. No way we’re getting you anything close to camera ready by noon tomorrow. We need a plan to put you out there, but not let you be seen.

BRUCE

Agreed. Military isn’t his style. Chaos is. Let’s call him out before noon then. You do social media, right?

ALI

On it grandpa. You work on a speech that’ll resonate, I’ll get the platforms ready to pop.

[Alex Surer]

Alex’ Scene 1 Outline.

What I learned is: This is running really smoothly… Now I just gotta put down the tracks. And get back to real life as well. I know I will be really busy with real life starting Wednesday for at least a week I will kinda be out of commission – and I will just be able to do the bare minimum. So I want to get the outline as far as I can get it before then, so I’ll just be tweaking instead of getting my head in knots.

ACT 2 – 1

THE KEY SCENES OF ACT 2 – Now that you have a voice… what are you going to say… WHAT MATTERS TO YOU?

Key Scene 1: Reaction to the Turning Point. The Old Ways are not enough.

INT. OONA’S FLAT – KITCHEN 2024

Oona wants to tell her mother what happened but doesn’t want to get her worried… (or get herself committed again)

Barbara is not thrilled with Oona’s new friend choice.

Oona is furious: First she’s a problem because she’s a loner, now she has the wrong friend.

No wonder her father didn’t want anything to do with her.

Key Scene 2: Protagonist makes a plan and executes it.

Oona can now hear the invisible Bernhard as voice in her head in real time in 2024. (RULES? He will stop talking to her when he is in prison). Oona ‘sees’ 2024 through the eyes of Bernhard, rewarding her with a new paradigm of reality. She is never alone again! (Does that bug her?)

Bernhard convinces Oona he means no harm. For now.

PLACEHOLDER – IN THE MEANTIME IN 1850

Shocked by his own behavoir of leaving a girl in the snow to die, Bernhard is having a good boy phase.

He has taken a steady job as mason and has been staying out of trouble.

PLACEHOLDER

Bernhard’s voice makes Oona bold, sharpens her senses, gives her ideas for Insta posts . VIRAL TWEETS, 10k Followers

Philosophical FUN AND GAMES explaining 2024 to an alien from 1850

Excess, Opulence, Porn, Email: Prince gives you millions, EMAIL SCAMS

EXT. LENZBURG – DAY (PARADIGM SHIFT)

Oona explains and re-discovers Lenzburg 2024 with Bernhard.

She is the healthiest she has ever been.

Does an Insta Series: Cos play DAUGHTER OF THE REVOLUTION… WHERE DID WE GO WRONG?

Her comments on Lenzburg 1850-2024 are benign philosophy, economics, social responsibility… not yet activism. She has cultural followers… people that are interested in museums, history, taking tours.

INT. MAYOR OFFICE LENZBURG – DAY

First tourists arrive from out of town Switzerland… even Austria and Germany… the US…

She becomes Nr 1 on Trip Advisor and Travel Channels

Tourists are flooding the town. Hotels have no room.

INT. SCHOOL – PLACEHOLDER NEW TALENTS

Oona aces a history test.

Hot teacher wants her to write a book. Introduces her to a journalist friend of his.

Rosemary is jealous.

Oona has been spending less time with her, has excuses for being busy.

Rosemary stalks her and learns Oona is posting as Bernhard. (R-Mary does not follow travel channels after all, ha)

PLACEHOLDER – HER DMs START BLOWING UP

Local Journalist hound her on DM, want interviews, Podcasts invite her, Radio stations (… maybe she does one if she does not have to show her face?)

She is being offered products to promote and endorse.

PLACEHOLDER

Rosemary goes to tabloids and breaks the Influencer is a young local woman.

PLACEHOLDER

Bernhard is getting antsy with all the ‘look don’t touch’.

With all this insane wealth and opulence, why doesn’t Oona get hers?

Why was he born in a destitute time. Why can’t he come to 2024… Oona came to 1850 after all.

He starts to influence her to think criminal thoughts.

Oona thinks maybe she can help Bernhard/shut him up and takes him to her mother’s AA meeting.

So far Bernhard has only seen Barbara through the eyes of her avoidant daughter.

INT. AA MEETING – DAY

Bernhard falls in love with Barbara, the Delinquent Savior… and becomes obsessed she could repair him.

2024 Barbara reminds him of 1850 Barbara and all he has lost.

He begs Oona to tell her mother about him so they can take a meeting.

Oona refuses to admit to her mom she is a full blown but happy schizophrenic.

PLACEHOLDER

Oona and Rosemary have a falling out about how to use POWER – what to post.

The essence of Bernhard is BEING BAD and HAVING FUN.

Rosemary wants to do Crime Stories… and commit new crimes… how fun would that be.

Key Scene 3: Not only does their plan fail, but…

PLACEHOLDER – IN THE MEANTIME IN 1850

Bernhard gets in trouble. Commits a crime. Plans to escape Aargau for the US. Tries to get Barbara and his young daughter to go with him. She refuses. It’s too late. She no longer believes him. And has been in jail twice because of him. And she is seeing someone else.

Bernhard begs his father for the money to go to the US (in real life he started smuggling… dunno if there is room for that)

Ready to board ship in Le Havre. But doesn’t pass the health test – idiot had slept with prostitutes on the trip through Paris and gotten a venereal disease.

And idiot that he is he goes home.

BACK IN AARGAU HE LANDS IN JAIL. NOW OONA CAN NO LONGER HEAR HIM.

PLACEHOLDER

Pressured by Rosemary, Oona accepts endorsements for free swag.

Her whole apartment is filled with boxes. Barbara wants to know WTF is going on.

PLACEHOLDER

Oona is freaking out because she can no longer hear Bernhard.

She reaproaches Rosemary and agrees to protest something and rally followers.

If anything, they should use the power for good.

They liberate a pig farm.

Midpoint Turning Point

Key Scene 4: Turning Point = Midpoint – There’s a huge change in meaning!

PLACEHOLDER

Rosemary claims she is BERNHARD.

She hacks Oona’s account and starts posting Do You Matter Challenges.

[Rita Roberts]

Act 2 Reaction to TP 1

What I learned doing this assignment:

“Emotional reaction” can have many meanings. It’s not necessarily an outburst but maybe just an uncharacteristic action or a choice which contradicts what the protagonist declared at the end of Act 1. Which I had to change so that this scene would be a switch-up.

Using your Beat Sheet, outline Key Scene 1.

TE4

INT. HARDWARE STORE – DAY

New plan

BEGINNING: Dawn can’t stop now, business is booming and she’s enjoying it… until Abernathy throws a damper on her new sense of self when he corners her in the tool section,

MIDDLE: asks professional questions she can bluff her way through without Zak, but just barely.

END: Feeling like she might have blown her imposter cover, she buys the work van to bolster her professional image.

——————————

INT. HARDWARE STORE – DAY

Dawn loads up a basket of basic tools. She considers a saw, gives it a test run in the air. As she saws away at nothing…

Tom appears at the end of the aisle. He approaches.

TOM

Is there an invisible magician’s assistant to saw in half?

Dawn jumps and drops the saw, which lands on the blade and rebounds toward Tom’s shin.

He takes the hit. Winces but plays tough.

DAWN
Oh my god, never sneak up on a woman with a blade!

TOM

Noted. I’m glad I ran into you, I mean, until you threatened a lower limb amputation.

DAWN
I’m so sorry.

TOM
I was going to see if there’s room in your schedule to give me a bid on the apartment building going up on highway six.

DAWN
You mean the whole thing?

TOM
Thirty-six units. Two-tone.

DAWN
The inside of the apartments?

Tom cocks his head, a little confused by this exchange.

TOM
Yes? And the hallways. The full interior. I can give you the drawings.

DAWN
Not the outside?

TOM
The exterior is pro-panel.

Dawn nods slowly. She doesn’t speak construction lingo.

DAWN
Okaaay.

TOM
So, you’ll give me a bid?

Dawn picks up more random tools as if she’s still so busy and needs to get back to work.

DAWN
I’ll have to check my schedule.

TOM

No problem. I have the drawings in my pickup outside.

DAWN

Okay, I’ll find you.

She rushes toward the checkout. Can’t get away from this conversation fast enough.

INT. HARDWARE STORE ENTRANCE – DAY

Dawn lingers by the window, watching Tom in his pickup.

He waits. Drums his fingers on the steering wheel. Scans the storefront to see if she’s coming.

Dawn ducks behind a display shelf.

DAWN
Geez, this guy just doesn’t give up!

She takes a deep breath, puts on her breezy, confident professor facade and activates the automatic door.

Greets the farmer going in like they’re old friends.

He reciprocates, tips his hat, albeit confused.

She waves at Tom and heads toward the truck.

EXT. INSURANCE OFFICE – DAY

Dawn pulls up in the white work van and heads inside with new title in hand.

Blue Dawn door magnet from Zak’s truck has been repositioned on the side panel.

[Tita Beal Anntares]

Tita’s Act 2 Reaction to Turning Point at end of Act 1

What I learned from this assignment:That I can lose confidence, even hate the play or just feel too sleepy to tackle another Act right away. But because I already have the Beat Sheet. Even if I change my earlier description of a beat, I can give myself a push and just outline that simple Beginning, Middle End of a scenes. And then instead of curling up under the covers on the couch to watch a Hallmark tv love story. Or nap. Or clean the kitchen a second time… I can decide to take that outline and just block out a rough draft of the script. So what if it’s lousy, sloppy, full of holes… it’s an effing first step into the next scene and I can keep going! Thanks Hal and SU!!

Assignment 13:

Beat Sheet for Reaction to Turning Point 1

INT. HUTCHINSON’S ELEGANT BOSTON HOME– DAY

H with adult children – he plans how to protect them physically and financially if people blame him. Theme exploring – The fear felt by people trying to assert order but attacked by people wanting more freedom/rights

Reaction Scene Outline

Beginning: Hutchinson madly working at desk, surrounded by piles of books, paper, files. Daughter Peggy tries to keep Judge Peter Oliver out, but he pushes in, foaming against James Otis and Sam Adams manipulating decent people, etc. (from book with his actual words) Demands what he’s going to do. Tax Commissioner can ruin rep with King and Lords of Parliament.

Middle: Peter tells him what to do if he doesn’t know what to do. Arrest them all. Hutch no – that will just stir them up worse. Must reason with them. Explain the laws. Peter says that didn’t work – they don’t even listen to you any more.

Ending: Hutch counters with dangers of tyrants around the world – monarchies, hate our system of allowing nobles and commoners to vote on issues that impact their lives… then we will keep writing Parl… show them why taxing the colonies is legal and their right, but – trust our nation – we have most liberty of any nation in world. Must trust them. Challenges Peter – doesn’t trust leaders to

Script

INT. STUDY IN HUTCHINSON’S ELEGANT BOSTON HOME– DAY

(Scene/Structure: Reaction to Turning Point 1)

[Hutchinson madly working at desk, surrounded by piles of books, paper, files. He writes, crosses out, starts to throw paper away, files it carefully in wastebasket. Knocking on door with a cane]

PEGGY HUTCHINSON

I told you, Judge Oliver. My father is writing his history.

[Hutchinson’s daughter Peggy tries to hold back Judge Peter Oliver who is pushing through the door, shouting]

JUDGE PETER OLIVER

[Yelling]

History is being made right now!! (INSERT PO’s rant against Sam and Otis as sons of Satan)

PEGGY

Please! My father is already upset. He needs to write.

HUTCHINSON

How can I write?! First my sons telling me that I should do whatever the tax Commisioner wants so I do’t lose my position – or a chance to be Governor. Now my cousin ranting

Middle

JUDGE OLIVER

Not ranting! Trying to force you to face the truth. Otis and Adams are not just ensnaring the people of Boston – they’ve got silversmith jumping on his horse to take copies of all correspondence about the tax into our Western counties And others ride to the borders so people on all our borders – Connecticut, New York, New Hampshire, the Vermont Terriroty and Rhode Island Then runners tke the letters spople are mobilizing against this Stamp tax all over the colonies. Runners pick up the correspondence I nto the other countries frm there! What are you going to do to put out this prairie fire before this two servants of Satan start a prairie fire in Boston and Mass?

HUTCH

before you barged in –I – I was looking for my copies of letters fro Lord Dartmouth (name?] proving Parlliament never gave up their right t tax the colonies.

JUDGE

If you don’t know what to do, I do. The first sign of anyone refusing to pay the tax, we arrest them. Fill the jails – and if the jails overvflow, we arrest and lock them in cell

HUtCH

No, no! That’s just the kind of tyrannical action that will feed them!

JUDGE

So you do nothing?

HUTCH

I’ll keep reasoning with them. Explain the laws. They’re our fellow citizens – we can’t arrest them because they are sure they are protesting an unfair law. Even if the law says Parl an ta them, doensn’t mean it’s fair t tax them.

JUDGE

That really worked – last week you didn’t even finish your speech. Had people sneering and jeering. Walking off. Some of them who found a bench fell asleep.

Ending

HUTCH

Believe me – we can trust our government to realize they rescind the tax. They should stick to tariffs on imports if anything

JUDGE

What did the empire get for their troubles when they were just imposing tariffs? Supposedly decent men of wealth refusing to pay the tax, smuggling heir stuff – then that Otis radical calling us tyrants because we send Customs aentpppgents to take back the contrabnand fast as a fox,they

HUTCH

Sloppy thinking, Judge – the first arrest will turn every Brtish citzens in our colony into a tax evader = and proud of it.

JUDGE

So what are you going to do?

HUTCH

Not arrest them

JUDGE

That’s n ot an answer

[Stomps out]

PEGGY

He’s proably going to get Gov Bernard to arrest anyone not buying the tax stamp.

HUTCH

Gov Bernard just wants to get recalled to London. He won’t do anything that might make the Kng tell him to stay her

PEGGY

Or worse – that tax commissioner threatened t write a bad report about you to the king. If you lose your appointment – everyone in the family may lose shipping contracts – future placements… Billy and Tommy – and what about cousin Andrew – if the king turns on you, wont he cancel the appointment of cousin Andrew as tax master?

HUTCH

I’ll write Lord Dartmouth again. I trust our nation to do the right thing… even after they do the worst first. We live in the only nation with liberty in a world of tyrants around the world – monarchies. Parliament will realize the Stam tax may be legal but its not a good strategy. King Charles of Spain, King Louis of France – and xxxxx. If they see we can’t control our own citizens, make them pay taxes – they will all band together to take bites out f us –

PEGGY

But we beat back the French. All the colonies of New England stayed British

HUTCH

They can all move into Indian country.- the French ccan come down from the North, the Spaniards up from Florida… Don’t worry, I’ll write Lord Dartmouth again . And some other. keep writing Parl… show them why taxing the colonies is legal and their right, They will see reason.

###

[Alice Eden]

Alice’s Act 2 Reaction to TP 1

EXT. HAWAII – EVENING

Sunset. Beach side. Their conversation.

EXT. HAWAII – EVENING

BEGINNING:

Sunset. Walking on Ocean side.

MIDDLE:

Albert prompts Elizabeth to relate her story.

END:

Discordant, as he was one of the people who played vile game against Elizabeth Salander, Schenke throws his amulet, a golden cigarette case, into Ocean.

EXT. HAWAII – EVENING

Sunset. Albert Schenke and Elizabeth Salander walk along the shore.

ALBERT SCHENKE

Lisa, I know you for such a long time, and I cannot understand, what it is with you. Why are you like that?

ELIZABETH

Probably because of what I’ve been thru. Burning wrong person and being persecuted. I was tied up to the bed for a year. When I tried to talk to other people, no one would listen.

Albert in discordance pulls out his golden cigarette case. Shows to Elizabeth.

ALBERT SCHENKE

You know, I once found it on the beach. When I was young. I always considered it to be a good omen. Prophecy for future success. I don’t need it anymore.

He throws heavy case as far as he can into the waves.

They both follow it diving in.

[Margaret Gendreau]

Margaret’s Act 2 Reaction to TP 1

What I learned completing this assignment is I spent some time this morning reworking my turning point in order for my pilot to end in the way that makes the most sense. My act five is the reaction to the turning point ending the episode and setting up the second episode. The extra time I spent makes sure I’m where I want to be in the story but I’m still moving quickly.

EXT. MOM’S HOUSE – NIGHT

Lake sits in the car in front of a tract home in the dark.

INT. CAR – NIGHT

She writes in a little black book with a pen.

She’s writing a review of Mae’s dumplings.

She finishes writing and puts the little black book down and opens the glove box.

She grabs a few of the small bottles and drinks them down.

EXT. MOM’S HOUSE – NIGHT

Lake stands for a long moment in front of the house. She steels herself and breaths in deeply.

She puts the keys in the lock and opens the front door.

INT. MOM’S HOUSE – NIGHT

Lake looks around and sees no one. She tiptoes toward the hall.

Mom steps into the kitchen entry.

Mom

Did you go by the house today and sign the papers?

Lake

Not today.

Mom

You need to pack up your stuff and get out now.

Lake

Now?

Mom

Right now.

Lake

But where am I supposed to go?

Mom

That isn’t my problem.

LAKE

I can’t believe you’re doing this.

Mom

It’s for your own good.

EXT. mom’s house – night

Lake struggles with a large suitcase an overnight bag and har handbag.

She drops them beside the car.

Lake opens the passenger side door and moves the seat back and struggles to get her suitcase and bags into the back seat.

EXT. HILLSIDE PLOT – NEIGHBORHOOD – night

Lake pulls up in her car and parks in front of the burned plot where her house used to stand.

INT. parked car – night

Lake

What the fuck am I supposed to do now? What the actual fuck!?

Blake appears in her driver side seat.

Lake

Just when I thought nothing could get worse.

Blake

You have everything you need.

Lake

I need to find where I belong. That was never with you.

Blake

But it wasn’t all bad.

Lake

No it wasn’t all bad.

Blake

You have a clean slate.

Lake

It seems pretty crowded for a clean slate.

Blake

Home is where you belong.

Lake raises her head and smiles at Blake for the first time.

EXT. House for sale – Olive Court – day

Lake surrounded by her bags at her feet on the front step, quickly enters Ember’s code into the lockbox and opens to reveal the key.

She unlocks the front door and steps dramatically over the threshold and looks around.

INT. House for sale – Olive Court – day

She carries all the bags into the house and drops them inside.

INT. House for sale – Olive Court – day

Lake opens the sliding glass door at the other side of the great room.

ExT. House for sale – Olive Court – day

Lake exits the front door. She locks the front door and carefully put the key back in the lockbox.

INt. House for sale – Olive Court – day

Lake enters the house through the glass door.

She shuts the door behind her and locks it.

She heads back towards her bag but stops in front of the sign over the dining room table: Home where memories are made, love is felt and refuge is found. You belong here.

Lake smiles wryly.

[Jane Turville]

Jane’s Act 2: Reaction to Turning Point 1

By doing this assignment I moved into unchartered territory. I really didn’t know how Chelsea might react. In keeping with the “Just keep moving” mantra, I just wrote. What Chelsea ends up doing is falling back on trying to get help from others. Her reaction is that others have to help her, she doesn’t even consider that she has the ability to help herself. This is totally in keeping with her “old ways.” Because everyone thinks she’s Julie, they treat her that way. And, Julie will always take care of herself. So her reaction clashes with others expectations of what her reaction should be.

INT. GOON’S ROOM
Chelsea wakes up. She is gagged with hands bound behind her back sitting in a chair. The goons sit with her watching a game show.

When the goons see that she is awake, they tell her that they will shoot her dead if she even tries to run. They untie her and connect to a Zoom meeting.

They leave her alone in the room. She runs to the room’s phone but the line has been cut. As she’s trying it, a voice comes from the computer. A very handsome man with a thick Greek accent asks her what she is doing.

He talks to her as if she is Julie. He reminds her of the life they have planned. That she should have known he couldn’t let her marry someone else. She should know she belongs to him.

Chelsea is terrified. He tells her that she just needs to stick to their plan and she’ll soon be back, safe and sound with him. He tell her to unmute and tell him she loves him.

She unmutes and tells him she is not Julie and she has no idea what he’s talking about. He mutes her, cutting her off. He tells her she’s got 24 hours to carry out their plan. If she doesn’t, she’s fish food.

The goons come back in after the guy leaves the meeting. They tell her that they will kill anyone she tries to talk to. They’ve got their orders. She can have free run of the ship to carry out the plan. They leave in 24 hours. She’ll either be with them or at the bottom of the sea. It’s her choice.

[Karen Sinclair]

KAREN SINCLAIR’S ACT 2 REACTION TO TURNING POINT 1

What I learned doing this assignment is…?

What I learned doing this assignment is the importance of setups. I can see that I will have to do additional passes in the future just dealing with setups. Some of the scenes feel a bit abrupt.

I was also working 3-4 days behind this past week but just kept going. When I finish this assignment, I’m still 3 weeks behind. I’m not stressing as much now about being behind as I was in the beginning. I don’t know if that’s a good thing?

ASSIGNMENT 13

Concept

Ad Exec Sadie Hilliard goes out for a noontime run to get in the right state of mind to make a presentation to her agency’s most significant client. While running, she receives a call on her cellphone threatening the lives of her and her family if she should stop running.

Theme

Sadie has never had to think about anyone but herself. Because of that, she places very little value on relationships and family. She is confident as it relates to her skills in her career but insecure as a partner and family member. Can the right person make the difference in her life or is she destined to be a loner.

———————————————————————————

EXT. STREETS – DAY

Sadie keeps running. She decides she must do something.

EXT. STREETS – DAY

BEGINNING: Sadie keeps running but realizes she must do something. She decides to test the caller by jumping up onto the sidewalk and running among walkers.

MIDDLE: Sadie receives no reaction to her jump to the sidewalk. She slows to a walk.

END: Her phone vibrates with a text, RUN!

———————————————————————————

EXT. STREETS – DAY (MOMENTS LATER)

Sadie sprints full out. When she crosses at the intersection she doesn’t see the motor bike.

EXT. STREETS – DAY (MOMENTS LATER)

BEGINNING: Sadie starts to sprint, all out for a block.

MIDDLE: Just as she arrives at the intersection the light turns green. She crosses the street looking to the right and doesn’t see the motorcycle.

END: She thinks she may have outsmarted the caller, so she slows to a walk again.

———————————————————————————

EXT. STREETS – DAY (CONTINUOUS)

As Sadie walks she dials 911 on her cellphone.

EXT. STREETS – DAY (CONTINUOUS)

BEGINNING: While walking, Sadie dials 911 on her cellphone.

MIDDLE: Her cellphone makes a funny sounds. A digitally enhanced voice chimes in…

END: NICE TRY!

———————————————————————————

EXT. STREETS – DAY (CONTINUOUS)

Sadie starts to run again.

EXT. STREETS – DAY (CONTINUOUS)

BEGINNING: Sadie starts to run again.

MIDDLE: She runs up beside a couple pushing a baby carriage. She is out of breath from her earlier sprint but tries to tell them that she is being held hostage and implores them to call the police.

END: They look around to see who Sadie is talking to. When they realize it is them, they suddenly turn a corner, right, without saying a word.

———————————————————————————

EXT. STREETS – DAY (CONTINUOUS)

Sadie calls after the couple. They don’t look back. The caller texts her again and attaches a couple of short video clips of her stepchildren and her husband.

EXT. STREETS – DAY (CONTINUOUS)

BEGINNING: As the couple moves away from her, they head right, straight toward the caller on the motorcycle with the flashlight. Sadie yells at the couple. They ignore her and speed up.

MIDDLE: The caller turns the flashlight off before the couple has a chance to notice them.

END: Shortly thereafter, Sadie receives a text. It includes a short video of her stepchildren playing at the park with them mother, followed by a video of Adam walking back from the mailbox to their house.

———————————————————————————

EXT. STREETS – DUSK (LATER)

Sadie continues running. It starts to rain. She looks to her right at every intersection. The person on the motorbike is still tracking her and shining a flashlight at her to let her know they are there.

EXT. STREETS – DUSK (LATER)

BEGINNING: Sadie continues running. It starts to rain.

MIDDLE: She looks to her right at every intersection and sees the person on the motorcycle still tracking her.

END: The flashlight continues to shine in her direction. The rain makes the light look more sinister.

———————————————————————————

EXT. STREETS – NIGHT (Turning Point 2)

Sadie has been running for over two hours and needs to urinate. She has been holding it for a while.

EXT. STREETS – NIGHT

BEGINNING: Sadie has been running for over two hours. She starts to squirm as now she really needs to urinate. It is raining which gives her cover to just let the urine flow. She is already wet from head to toe.

MIDDLE: The urine runs down her legs and into her new shoes. Sadie is in agony as it hits a blister that has formed and popped.

END: Sadie clenches her teeth as she runs. She looks down. The inside of the left toe of her shoe is turning red with blood.

———————————————————————————

EXT. STREETS – NIGHT (LATER)

It is an hour later, almost totally dark and the rain is really coming down. Sadie’s bangs are flat against her forehead, her ponytail has fallen, and her feet are bloody. She is a mess.

EXT. STREETS – NIGHT (LATER)

BEGINNING: It is an hour later, almost dark and the rain is pounding down. Sadie’s bangs are flat against her forehead, her ponytail has fallen, and her feet are bloody. She is a mess. The sidewalks are deserted. She gets strange looks from cars coming up beside her.

MIDDLE: A car pulls up beside Sadie and they start to roll down the passenger window. Just as Sadie is about to engage them, a motorcycle pulls up behind her and revs its engine.

END: She blows them off, they roll up the window and continue. The motorcycle passes her and speeds off. She realizes that they probably weren’t the caller but just an impatient motorcyclist trying to get home and out of the rain.

———————————————————————————

INT. AGENCY BULLPEN

Back at the office, Sadie’s team is concerned. They have everything ready and loaded in the van. The only thing missing is Sadie. They try to call her, but her phone goes direct to voice mail. They decide to head over to the client’s office and set up.

INT. AGENCY BULLPEN

BEGINNING: Sadie’s team is in a huddle discussing what they should do about their missing boss.

MIDDLE: Randy assures the group that Sadie will be there as he is dialing her cellphone. The call goes directly to voice mail. Randy leaves a message telling Sadie that he is concerned and that he and the others are taking everything to the client’s office to set up and be ready when she gets there.

END: The gang picks up purses and jackets and heads to the client. Randy tells everyone, as they are walking out, not to say anything to the client about Sadie’s whereabouts. She will show up.

———————————————————————————

EXT. STREETS – NIGHT

Sadie looks at the time on her phone and realizes she is going to miss her presentation. She sees no evidence that anyone has tried to get in contact with her.

EXT. STREETS – NIGHT

BEGINNING: Sadie checks the time on her phone realizing she is going to miss her presentation. She starts to worry about her employees and what they must be thinking about her absence. She hasn’t received any calls from anyone, not even Adam.

MIDDLE: The old Sadie would be thinking only about the business loss of missing the presentation. The new Sadie is thinking about how worried Adam and her co-workers must be.

END: She puts her phone back in her leg pocket and keeps running.

———————————————————————————

EXT. STREETS – NIGHT

Randy decides to drive the van over to where he knows Sadie likes to go for a short run. He wonders if maybe she is injured or something.

EXT. STREETS – NIGHT

BEGINNING: Randy takes a sudden turn with the van, deciding to quickly drive the route he knows Sadie takes when she’s going on a short run.

MIDDLE: The gang asks him what he’s doing and he lies saying that he saw an alert on his phone about a road block. He drives the path and then cuts back to the main route.

END: Sadie is no where to be seen on this short route. She has been running for over three hours.

———————————————————————————

EXT. STREETS – NIGHT

Sadie is starting to feel desperate. She decides she is going to jump in a car, borrow the cabbie’s phone and call the police. Her plan backfires and she gets booted from the cab.

EXT. STREETS – NIGHT

BEGINNING: Feeling desperate, Sadie decides she must do something. She sees a cab coming up beside her. As it passes, she speeds up, bangs on the window and when the cab slows, she opens the door and jumps in the back seat with a couple dressed to the nines and heading out on the town.

MIDDLE: The couple recoil at Sadie’s condition. Her phones starts to emit an ear-piercing sound that she can’t stop. The cabbie stops the cab, jumps out and runs around to the back passenger door. He pulls Sadie out and slams the door, runs back around, jumps in and takes off.

END: Sadie crumbles to the ground. Her cellphone vibrates. She takes the call and a digital voice yells, STAND UP AND RUN!

———————————————————————————

[Lonnie Nichols]

Lonnie’s Act II reaction to T.P. from Act I

What I learned from this assignment: The importance of the protagonist reaction or action after the T.P. Still learning this writing process.

(from ACT I)

(V.O.): “When the shit hits the fan, do what it takes to show those kids whose in charge.”

Norman: “Got it”.

Norman Hangs up phone. Looks around, doesn’t see Chuck, pulls out pistol….checks loaded gun chamber. Slips gun back in his pocket.

ACT II

Saturday May 2nd

EXT. DOWNTOWN KENT, OHIO – DAY

Town is a mess after protesting, some store windows broken. Garbage in streets… burned down wooden stand.

A large number 9 (20-30) of KSU students are donating their time to help with the clean-up.

POLICEMEN patrol the streets, some helping with clean-up.

REACTION TO TURNING POINT:

Chuck and KAREN RAYMON (19), full figured, dark hair, assist in the clean up.

CHUCK

I saw this weird dude on the phone last night–

KAREN

So? Sweetie Pie, there’s a lot of weird dudes in this town right now.

CHUCK

But this guy was suspicious like no others.

KAREN

Yeah? How?

CHUCK

I started taking pictures of him, then moved closer. He didn’t know I could hear him.

They throw some broken glass into a nearby dumpster.

KAREN

You were eavesdropping? You sneak!

CHUCK

Well, he must have been talking to a superior somebody…government shit.

KAREN

Like what?

CHUCK

He was telling his contact that “things are really heating up…National Guard isn’t here yet”.

KAREN

That’s funky shit.

CHUCK

Here’s the heavy stuff: after he hung up the phone, he pulled a revolver out of his jacket pocket and checked the chamber. It was loaded.

KAREN

Get out! You need to report this to the police.

An old garbage truck pulls up and Chuck helps load garbage bags full of trash, along with some burnt plywood onto the truck.

Chuck walks over to A POLICEMAN (40ish) patrolling and helping with the clean-up.

CHUCK

Officer, I’d like to report an incident last night, actually two I overheard that might be of concern.

POLICEMAN

(reluctant)

OK, what do you have?

CHUCK

There was this weird guy in an orange jacket over there at that outside pay phone. He was telling someone…very serioius conversation… that “things were heating up”, and, “Guard isn’t here yet”, and then he pulled out a revolver and checked the chambers. It was loaded.

The policeman did not seem at all surprised, but pulled out a small notebook, took a few notes.

POLICEMAN

OK, son, we’ll look into it.

CHUCK

That’s it? Want me to go to the station and report this?

POLICEMAN

No, I got this. Much appreciated.

CHUCK

Oh yeah, I over another student say they were burning down the ROTC building tonight

POLICEMAN

Oh, yeah, we hear that all the time.

He looks around. Sees a traffic jam.

POLICEMAN

You take care. I’ve gotta get this car moving up.

Chuck walks back over to Karen, who’s sweeping more glass on the sidewalk.

KAREN

What’d he say?

CHUCK

He didn’t seem concerned at all. I’m floored.

KAREN

Sweetie, you might need to go to the station and report this stuff.

CHUCK

I think I’ll track this guy myself. There’s something strange about this, because the cop acted like he knew this weird guy with the gun.

Chuck bends over with a large dust pan and helps Karen with some more broken glass.

[SUNIL BATRA]

lesson 13 act 2

I learned that when your ending scene are missing sometimes make movie dull.

page 8

INT.EXT. ROBINSON HOUSE – NIGHT

Strom is dense. Jackie pursuing Robinson to move. He agrees.

Middle

Robinson jump into the water to anchor the boat.

While coming back the water splash on him and he vanishes for a while. Andrew thinks dad drowned.

End. Andrew jumps in water to rescues his dad.

INT EXT. ROBINSON HOUSE – LATE NIGHT

BEGINNING

Andrew swims to locate his father.

Middle

Father back to house. sees Jackie and mike crying as they cannot see Andrew. Dad goes back. but fails to find Andrews. Comes back call police.

End

Andrew drowned. And declared dead by sheriff.

EXT. JEFF’S VAN – MORNING.

Beginning

Jeff loitering on road watches destruction.

middle

come back open the shop and start playing cards. Spank a buyer for not waiting, goes back home.

End.

JEFF’S SHOP – NIGHT

BEGIN

Jeff comes back to shop.

Middle. Counting money, he earns for todays. Andrew up and sees him cover with the bandage.

End

Jeff bring him home and promise to return him.

[Susan Rose]

Susan’s Act 2 Reaction to TP 1

What I learned doing this assigment: I think I am finally getting used to implementing the theory of “beginning, middle, and end” for EACH scene.

INT. BEDROOM – NIGHT

Shelby and Liam are sleeping soundly until Shelby becomes restless. She tosses to and fro as if fending off some attack, then stops, her covers flung to the side. She begins MUMBLING, waking Liam.

LIAM

Shel, you ok?

SHELBY (Mumbling)

Leaves of three let them be.

LIAM

What?

SHELBY

Get! Watch out!

Just as Liam realizes she must be dreaming, Shelby raises her leg straight in the air and brings it down harshly, stomping her foot into the mattress.

LIAM

What the fuck?

Before he can react, Shelby repeats the motion, even more aggressively.

Liam props himself up reaching over, shaking Shelby gently.

LIAM

Shelby, wake up you’re –

For all his gentleness, Shelby pulls away then punches Liam square in his nose.

LIAM

Goddammit! Shelby, what the hell?

Shelby sits up abruptly, her skin moist with perspiration.

SHELBY

Oh my God, Liam, I just had the most horrible dream.

LIAM (Holding his nose)

You think? I was on the receiving end of it!

Shelby quickly turns on the bedside lamp and sees Liam holding his nose, blood trickling between his fingers.

SHELBY

Jesus, Liam, your nose is bleeding. What happened?

LIAM

You, babe, you happened. Whatever nightmare you were having, I guess I was to blame.

Shelby jumps out of the bed and runs to the kitchen.

SHELBY (VO)

Liam, I am so sorry. I am getting ice.

He moves to the side of the bed, as she returns carrying a bag of ice and a towel.

SHELBY

Let me see.

He accepts the ice and towel then waves her off.

LIAM

Its fine, really. What the heck was that all about? You were doing some kind of judo kicks there in bed.

She plops on the bed next to him.

SHELBY

I was dreaming that we were back camping, yet here in our room. That snake was coming for me at every direction, then hiding under the bed.

LIAM (Amused)

And you were going to karate kick it?

SHELBY (Embarrassed)

No, I was just trying to scare him out.

LIAM

Well, if you punched it like you did me, it would have ended up on the moon.

She peeks under the towel to inspect the damage she inflicted.

LIAM

I think the bleeding has stopped. How does it look?

SHELBY

Like you got sucker punched. I’m so sorry, but do you see now? We’re not even physically camping and still this curse rears its ugly head.

Liam tosses aside the ice, wiping his nose gently, to clean any bloody remnants.

LIAM

We’re going to have to come up with some kick ass story to explain this.

He crawls back to the center of the bed, taking Shelby with him, they snuggle.

LIAM

Come here, you are not a jinx and you don’t have some horrible curse following you about. I admit, you’ve had some pretty shitty luck from what you’ve admitted but that’s all in the past.

SHELBY

Liam, are you sure you want to do this again? Maybe its best if you just take Sam and pick up where you left off two years ago.

LIAM

Forget it, I am going to prove to you how wrong you are. Besides, I’ve reserved a spot at a family friendly campground this year to ease you into the world of camping, he’d never settle for that type of glamping.

SHELBY

Glamping? I like that sound of that, sounds safe and right up my alley.

She rolls over to embrace him and sucks in her breath at the rapidly blackening eye.

SHELBY

Yep, that’s going to need a kick ass story, although the truth might make for a better story.

LIAM

What, woman tries to decapitate snake boyfriend with a karate chop, claiming it was all a dream?

SHELBY (Giggling)

Yeah, something like that.

She kisses his bruised eye and bloodied nose.

SHELBY

Thank you, Liam, for being so patient with me. If I haven’t told you lately, I love you, I think I will keep you around for a while; at least until I have learned to camp on my own.

[James Hernandez]

Day 13 Act 2 Begins

James’ Act 2 Reaction to TP 1

What I learned doing this assignment is… my hero is starting to evaluate her worth in life. She’s met a man who’s successful, yet she believes she can do much better for herself. Her reaction to deciding to potentially be having a relationship with the new suitor compels her to seek her old job, which is perhaps not the best move. She wants to be on equal footing; therefore, she’s compelled to pursue work that pays more. Not that a hostess/waitress job is degrading, but financially the sales job offers more security.

[Diane Denham]

What I learned doing this assignment is how much trouble my protagonist has gotten herself into by speaking and behaving in her Old Ways, and that she’s just now realizing how much she’s lost at this point. She has no choice now… she must swallow her pride and change… but does she though?

30-Day Screenplay Lesson 13: Act 2 Begins

Bonnie’s Act 2 Reaction to TP 1

ACT 2:

INT. MYKA’S LOFT – DAY

Key Scene 1: Reaction to the Turning Point. Myka wakes up and starts to go straight to her OLD WAYS… and soon realizes that her OLD WAYS ARE NOT WORKING. Tension, conflict and stakes escalate to a new level. Outside her comfort zone. She is locked in and there’s no going back.

BEGINNING: Myka gets out of bed, makes coffee and adds a shot of brandy. As she holds it to her lips, she glances down at the floor and sees the eviction notice in shreds. She sighs deeply.

MYKA

Oh, shit.

She tosses it down the drain, pours a fresh cup of black coffee and sits down in a slump in front of her multi-sensory, painting-music creation, looking uninspired.

Her phone BUZZES.

INSERT: Phone caller ID shows ARTSY BITCH.

She picks up.

MYKA

Yeah, what is it?

haven’t you ruined

me enough?

She stands and walks over to the window, taking a swig of coffee.

ARTSY BITCH

That mouth of yours and

Your temper tantrums are

What got you in trouble

In the first place, Myka.

MYKA

It didn’t help that you

Plastered memes of me

all over social media.

ARTSY BITCH

I’m offering you a chance

here. Apologize for your

outburst at the gallery,

and I might not press charges.

(huffs)

And I need you to pay for damages.

MYKA

Really? Apologize? Wow.

Even if I wanted to cover

costs, which I don’t,

I can’t even pay my rent

because…

YOU DROPPED MY ASS!

She clicks off.

INT. MYKA’S LOFT – NIGHT

MIDDLE: Myka sits in bed, scrolls through social media, reliving her recent tirade at the gallery, now with sober eyes.

INSERT: Laptop screen shows memes of her meltdown at the gallery, destroying her own work and shouting insults at the gallery owner.

Her expressions go from horror to amusement to looking away with disgust and disbelief.

MYKA

Yow, that was me?

How am I ever going to

crawl out of this hole?

Shuts the laptop and flops back on her pillow, closes her eyes but immediately snaps them wide open when a foul smell wafts under her nose intercut with chunky brownish green, textured streams of color spiraling in front of her sight.

Scenes from her nightmare of the crumbling Multiversity play before her eyes in overlapping colors, forms, sounds and images. Scents of mold and dust accost her sense of smell. Flame and ash attack her taste buds and the skin on her arms.

Floods of liquid color splash across masterpieces before her eyes… each tasting like acrid rotting fruit. Insects nibble at her…

Myka snaps herself out of it and the holographic dream memory dissolves.

MYKA

How can I fix this? My

dreams, my inspiration…

God, everything is fading away.

EXT. MYKA’S LOFT – NIGHT

END: Myka empties brandy and wine bottles into the gutter, tosses them into trash bin. As she throws in the last of them, she glances across the street. A few people are entering the side entrance of a church.

INT. CHURCH – NIGHT

Myka goes to an AA meeting, sits in the back. Walks out in the middle.

INT. MYKA’S LOFT – DAY

She works on a piece combining music, color and scent, but she has trouble concentrating. Stops recording. Closes the bottles of scent. Tosses everything on the floor in frustration.

Myka searches galleries and theaters on her laptop.

Then opens file of photos of Gabi, Yuri and Rafi from college.

MYKA

God, I was such a shit

to you guys… and the Committee

and Artsy Bitch.

What am I going to do?

I’ve got to get out of here.

EXT. CAFÉ – DAY

Gabi, Yuri and Rafi sit around an outdoor table having coffee. They’re concerned about Myka, talk about staging a possible intervention. They argue and can’t agree what to do. Nothing is decided. They’re still hurt because of the way she left things with them.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by  Diane Denham.
• This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by  Diane Denham.

[Philip Neale]

Philips Act 2 Reaction to TP 1

What I learned doing this assignment is there must be a reaction to the Turning Point

Key Scene 1:

INT.LAS VEGAS. LOUNGE. NIGHT

The manager has arranged a small introductory gig for the record company executives. The lights go down

and the band play the hits of Dmitris old band, as the audience transforms into lizards with suits.

There is deathly silence when the set finishes and only the manager claps echoing around the room

INT.LAS VEGAS HOTEL. EARLY HOURS

Dmitri and the band agree the performance sucked and get together to discuss options

Percy plays some blues standards and the decide to include them into the set.

The manager suggests they busk before the gig to assess the reaction. The people passing by

pelt them with rotten fruit and the band retreat back to the hotel

INT.LAS VEGAS HOTEL. EARLY DAY

Dmitri finds recordings of other bands in his kit and listens to them. He finds it easy to pick up the tunes

and begins to play the best ones for the band. He spices them up with riffs from the blues songs and Vincent

writes new lyrics. Percy doesnt want to sing them onstage and there performance was terrible, they get booed off stage

[Laura Woodworth]

Lesson 13 act 2 Begins Assignment

Laura Woodworth’s Act 2 Reaction to TP 1

What I learned doing this assignment is I discovered new ways to challenge my lead characters “old ways.” This helped me build in more tension and conflict, while also raising the stakes.

INT. ADMINISTRATION OFFICE – DAY

NATALIA

Can you believe it? They’re tracking me.

The Administrator sits calmly while she defends herself.

COLLEGE ADMINISTRATOR

It sounds like you’re quite upset.

NATALIA

Well, I am. I’m only doing what you’ve asked me to do — interpret for the American. I’m still at the top of my classes and I’m sure you know my loyalty and support.

COLLEGE ADMINISTRATOR

Perhaps it was a coincidence. I doubt you have anything to be concerned about.

He talks her down. She settles.

COLLEGE ADMINISTRATOR

I will ask, however, is there anyone around you who could be suspect? Maybe that’s who they’re watching?

NATALIA

No — I don’t think so…

COLLEGE ADMINISTRATOR

Someone whose loyalties seem misplaced? Someone who you feel uncomfortable around…

She considers. He presses.

COLLEGE ADMINISTRATOR

Sometimes they’re hiding in plain sight. On the surface they seem devoted, but if you look closer…

(beat)

Your insight could be very valuable.

NATALIA

I don’t know —

(beat)

There is a shopkeeper…

[Patrick McCormick]

Lesson 13 Act 2 Begins

Subject Line: Patrick McCormick’s Act 2 Reaction To Turning Point 1

What I Learned: Keeping focused on just what is asked without extraneous information is key to learning the intended techniques in the lessons.

Title: THE THRIFT STORE

Genre: Sci Fi Drama

Protagonist: Cody Thayer

Change Agent: Elizabeth

Antagonist: Jesub

Overall Theme: Change – the Constant in the Universe

ACT 2 – KEY SCENE 1 BEAT SHEET

EXT. THRIFT STORE PARKING LOT – DAY

Elizabeth shows Cody soul of murdered unborn child from her rape.

INT. CHILDHOOD HOME – NIGHT

Cody now strong enough stands up to her mother. Mother announces they are moving away.

INT. THRIFT STORE – DAY

Elizabeth talks Joyce into letting her remain and be Cody’s Guardian to help out at thrift store.

INT. POLICE STATION – DAY

Joyce asks ex-husband policeman to investigate Elizabeth.

ACT 2 – KEY SCENE 1 OUTLINE

EXT. THRIFT STORE PARKING LOT – DAY

BEGINNING: Elizabeth shows Cody soul of murdered unborn child from her rape. Feels betrayed.

MIDDLE: Cody Breaks down and processes her rape, her mother/Joyce aborting/murdering her child to save face.

END: Cody now prepared to face her controlling mother.

ACT 2 – KEY SCENE 1

EXT. THRIFT STORE PARKING LOT – DAY

As Cody pulled in to work, Elizabeth came out to greet her. She wasn’t sure she’d show up.

CODY

feeling it odd she’d meet in the parking lot

Good morning…

ELIZABETH

So you decided to move ahead.

CODY

Well, doesn’t seem like I can afford sick days.

ELIZABETH

You’ve always been good at wry humor. Helps you cope. Lets talk over here.

Walking to the gazebo on the grassy hill between forest and parking, they sat.

CODY

So, what’s up?

ELIZABETH

I checked your akashic record, and you’ve had quite a life. You’ve even dealt with intense things… dark things in your past this life, and you seemed to move past it okay.

CODY

I moved on.

ELIZABETH

Well, as you know I have abilities humanity does not. I checked your soul contracts, you know, the one’s you come in with. I was especially interested in the thing that should have damaged you, but apparently didn’t.

CODY

You mean the rape, pregnancy, and abortion at 13? I’m sure that was a lot of fun. So, why?

ELIZABETH

Well, you’ve had a lot happen lately, things that would seem impossible, and yet you’re composed.

CODY

I’ve moved on. Its done.

ELIZABETH

Most of you has. The thing I’m asking you to do, which seems impossible, requires… all of you. I read souls Cody, and yours’ has pieces missing. So no, you haven’t.

CODY

We’re human. You let things stop you, or you move on. And so, amidst everything, I found peace, much as I could.

ELIZABETH

Humanity is not defined by its evil, although that’s its current paradigm. You have a gift, the ability to heal where many do not. But still there’s something missing, and I think I found it.

CODY

You’re not going to let this go, are you? What is it.

ELIZABETH

You know that child that was growing inside of you? She has a soul.

CODY

subtly tearing, pursing lips

I didn’t want a baby. I’m glad she didn’t have to come into this world with me as her mother.

ELIZABETH

Just because you don’t feel like a mother, doesn’t mean you’re not one. Anyway, I found her, and she was very happy she had those few moments with you. Would you like to meet her, because she sure would like to meet you.

CODY

trauma welling up

No… how can I, after what happened?

ELIZABETH

Cody, if you knew how soul contracts work… Things that happen to people, they’re predetermined, while the details are designed by one’s life. Not all things appearing evil are bad as modern society demands. Some are just necessary, in order to transmute certain karmas from this and other lives.

CODY

wiping the tears

But, such a gentle soul… in such a violent act. How can that be good? How can the gods, who don’t know about us, and have no way of knowing the extent of our trials, even touch who we are.

ELIZABETH

consoling and holding her

Exactly. And that is the miracle you are made of no one can take from you. So… would you like to meet your daughter? Her name is Cassandra.

CODY

sitting up

Ahhhh ha, yes it is. Yes I would.

Elizabeth’s skin started rippling into thousands of fractals, becoming fluid. Flowing into the gazebo around them, Elizabeth disassembled, opening a portal to Heaven. An elliptical figure began appearing, becoming prominent before her. As it dimmed, it took the shape of a four year old girl with golden hair glowing with the light of heaven, her aura emanating the realm she was in.

CASSANDRA

Hi mommy.

CODY

crying

Hi baby.

CASSANDRA

standing and hugging her mom

I miss you. I wish you were here in heaven.

CODY

Me too… but I have things to do on Earth.

CASSANDRA

Yeah… well, if we were together, we would make heaven on earth.

CODY

Baby, you are my heaven, and I miss you so much. I’m sorry I hurt you.

CASSANDRA

Its okay mommy, it was supposed to be like that. You didn’t hurt me, you freed me from that karma, and that bad man, he’s a minister now. We were supposed to just meet, and then I had to go back. So, you did everything right.

As Cody broke down…

I’m so happy you were my mommy. And when I went home, I sent a message to Elizabeth, to give you my love, which helped her find you. She did so much more.

CODY

Yes she did. I’m sorry my mom and dad took your life.

CASSANDRA

Its okay, it freed you from them… I have to go now mommy.

CODY

I know baby, I know.

CASSANDRA

I will always love you, and always be with you… Good bye.

As Cassandra faded from her arms, Cody hugged herself and rocked, as Elizabeth re-manifested into human form, but with better skin.

CODY

Thank you…

regaining composure, noticing something different

Thank you. Um… you, you look different.

ELIZABETH

I renewed the complexion.

CODY

Wait wait wait wait, you can do that?

ELIZABETH

Yes.

CODY

So, just like that you can make better skin? I have a few pounds I don’t need.

ELIZABETH

Its not how it works.

CODY

Excuse me, you are an ancient omnipotent force that made the gods, you can move objects in the universe wherever you want to, you organize souls for a living. You can create and dis-create matter, and you say, its not how it works?

ELIZABETH

The body temple takes the shape of the journey.

CODY

But its just a few pounds, no one will know, even the gods.

ELIZABETH

The universe will. Why don’t you take the day off. Let everything go, allow this to integrate.

At Cody’s car.

CODY

Thank you. Now I know she’s safe.

ELIZABETH

She’s your soul family, and with the angels.

Cody drives off with Elizabeth looking on.

Cody spends the day processing that which she never could, it was too painful to look at.

As evening approached, Cody pulls up into the driveway of her childhood home.