EPISODE: 5
RENAI
Lorraine, you shouldn't have to do
any of this. Sit down.
LORRAINE
Nonsense. I'm perfectly capable of
putting a few things away. I did it
for Josh his whole life. He never
was good with tidying up.
RENAI
I know, but I just feel so bad.
LORRAINE
I think it's you who should be
sitting down by the looks of it.
She boosts a photo frame from one of the boxes. It is a
portrait of Renai, Dalton, Foster and Josh. In happier times.
Lorraine seems taken aback by it.
LORRAINE (CONT'D)
I can't believe you got Josh to sit
still for a photo.
Renai reclines against the wall, surveying her new living
room. Her new new house.
RENAI
I can't believe we're doing all this
again, that's what I can't believe.
(beat; looks at her)
I know you think I'm crazy.
Lorraine stops unpacking and fixes Renai with a stare. They've
never really gotten along before. Adversity has brought about
a truce.
LORRAINE
Nobody - not me, not anybody -
knows what you're going through
right now. Whatever you have to do
to get through it, do it. And never
apologize for it.
Renai hugs her. It's a new thing for them and a bit awkward.
INT. DOCTOR'S OFFICE - DAY
DR. BRYCE TRIMBLE (52) sits opposite Renai and Josh. Spread
out in front of him are a series of X-Rays, labelled DALTON
LAMBERT. His office is big and expensive. Renai looks hopeful. Josh looks like a shell of a man.
RENAI
We just wanna say...thank you so
much. For helping us out with this,
doctor. We can't tell you how much
it means to have you involved.
DR. TRIMBLE
I'm glad to help.
(beat)
Unfortunately...these recent tests
have proven inconclusive. There's
absolutely nothing abnormal here.
Josh and Renai deflate.
JOSH
So...if you're the top of the food
chain with this stuff, where does
that leave us?
DR. TRIMBLE
I don't know. There is a research
team in Boston who specialize in a
new form of treatment. They try to
stimulate the patients brain with
electric pulses. It has a good
success rate with victims of brain
injury. We could try that.
RENAI
So there's hope?
DR. TRIMBLE
There are more things we can try.
(beat)
The hope part is up to you.
INT. DALTON'S BEDROOM, NEW HOUSE - DAY
Renai sits beside Dalton. Staring at him. She runs her
fingers through his hair, touching his skin.
INT. LIVING ROOM, NEW HOUSE - DAY
A needle touches an LP.
The pops and crackles of record hiss spit forth, followed by
the lilting guitar strums of 'Tip Toe Through The Tulips'.
The quavering falsetto of Tiny Tim accompanies the guitar. TINY TIM (V.O.)
(from record)
Tip-toe by the window, by the
window, that is where I'll be...
Renai walks away and we follow her down the hall into --
INT. FOSTER'S BEDROOM, NEW HOUSE - CONTINUOUS
-- a mess as only a child can make.
Renai picks up a plate and a fork and knife from the floor.
She walks out and we DON'T CUT, tracking with her --
INT. HALLWAY, NEW HOUSE - CONTINUOUS
-- back down the hall, towards the kitchen. The records
continues warbling in the background.
TINY TIM
(from record)
Oh tip-toe, from the garden, by the
garden, of the willow tree...
Renai passes the living room.
What she doesn't see is the child standing in the middle of
the room, facing the record player.
The boy is dressed in clothes from another time, but
children's clothes just the same.
He is dancing awkwardly, shifting his weight from one foot to
foot the other sheepishly, as if trying it for the first
time.
Renai keeps walking and we stay with her as she moves past
the child, following her into the --
INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS
-- mess of the kitchen.
She sets the plate down in the sink, on top of a stack of
other dirty dishes.
With a sigh she runs the hot water over the dishes.
With a sudden POP, the record starts skipping.
Bump...bump...bump... Renai shuts off the water, heading back to the living room.
INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS
She marches in, annoyed.
Then freezes.
Her bookshelf is empty. The books that once sat on it are now
scattered across the floor.
Bump...bump...bump...
Renai scans the books.
Then
she
hears
it...
Giggling.
She pivots her head towards the darkened hallway. There, she
sees a child, hidden in shadow, standing in the hall. Staring
at her.
Bump...bump...bump...
Renai doesn't move. Doesn't breathe.
And then suddenly, the child turns and runs down the hall,
disappearing into Dalton's bedroom.
RENAI
Oh my God, Dalton...no...
Summoning every ounce of strength, Renai troops down the hall
towards Dalton's room.
INT. DALTON'S BEDROOM - DAY
Renai pushes the door open.
Dalton lies in the center of the room on his gurney. The only
sound is his breathing.
Renai surveys the room. It is empty.
Bump...bump...bump...
She steps inside, glancing over at a cabinet. In the foot-
high space beneath it, a small white shoe protrudes slightly. A child's shoe.
Heart pounding, Renai bends down, peering into the darkness
under the cabinet.
Bump...bump...bump...
The shoe does not have a foot in it. It is simply a discarded
shoe. There is no one under the cabinet.
BANG!!! BA G
The cabinet doors EXPLODE open as the child bursts out,
giggling. Only we see that it is not a child.
It is a DWARF. A man in child's clothing. The dwarf runs past
Renai as she LEAPS back. He runs out of the room, giggling.
All is quiet again.
Bump...bump...bump...
Renai gets up, unsure of what to do. Numb with terror.
SUDDENLY-- the record pitches back to life, the volume
startling. Renai JOLTS, falling backwards.
INT. CLASSROOM, FORRESTER HIGH SCHOOL - NIGHT
A darkened class room.
An older janitor, NED (68), shoulders the door open, carrying a
mop. He STARTS when he sees Josh, sitting at his desk in the
pale light of a desk lamp. Alone.
NED
Josh...didn't see you there.
JOSH
Sorry to scare you.
NED
What are you up to this late?
Josh holds up his flask of whisky. He's a bit soused.
JOSH
Where did all the bartenders who
listen to your troubles go, Ned?
Ned nods sagely. He sets down his mop and grabs a chair,
sitting in front of Josh with a sigh. He takes the flask. NED
Never drink alone. If you take the
dirty jokes out of drunkenness, all
you're left with is the self loathing.
He downs a hit from the flask, then hands it back.
JOSH
I don't need whisky for that.
NED
Bah. You people think too much.
Used to be, if life threw a
shitstorm at you, you'd grab the
nearest umbrella. Your generation
would spend a day googling what
brand to buy.
Josh laughs despite himself.
JOSH
I probably would too.
(beat; takes a drink)
It's funny, I've always known I was
the type of person that things
didn't happen to. I made peace with
it. I thought to myself, it's okay -
I'll never win the lottery or climb
Mount Everest...but I'll never get
a rare tropical blood disease
either. It works out.
(beat)
Now I'm the guy whose son is in a
mysterious coma.
NED
Things happen to everybody. Even to
good people like you. And they're
gonna keep happening the older you
get, believe me. No use sittin' in
the dark drinkin' over it. Go home.
Be with your wife. Tell her your
what's on your mind.
He takes the flask and has another swig.
NED (CONT'D)
There sure as hell isn't any
umbrellas 'round here.
EXT. NEW HOUSE - NIGHT
Josh pulls up to the house. Turns off the car. An old Cadillac is sitting in the driveway. Josh clambers out
of his car and peers in through the window of the Cadillac,
quizzical.
INT. LIVING ROOM, NEW HOUSE - NIGHT
Renai is huddled on the couch in the living room, gripping her
knees to her chest. A man is sitting next to her; a handsome,
soft-spoken Anglican priest, FATHER NATHANSON (40).
Josh enters. There are subtle changes in his coordination and
speech from the booze.
JOSH
This is the first line of a joke.
Guy comes home to find his wife
with a priest...
Father Nathanson stands, as does Renai.
RENAI
Josh, this is Liam Nathanson. A
very old friend of mine.
FATHER NATHANSON
Nice to meet you. I've heard a lot
about you.
JOSH
Can't say I've heard the same,
Liam. At least I know you're not
sleeping with her.
LORRAINE (O.S.)
Don't be rude, Josh.
Josh turns to see his mother, holding a tray of tea. He frowns.
JOSH
What is going on here?
FATHER NATHANSON
I should be going. Thank you so much
for the tea.
RENAI
Thanks, Liam.
He clears his throat and exits, quickly and quietly.
JOSH
Okay, would anyone mind telling me
what the hell is going on here? LORRAINE
Please sit down, Joshua.
JOSH
"Joshua?" Oh Jesus...
LORRAINE
Sit down.
JOSH
The melodramatic way in which you
two are conducting yourselves right
now is scaring the shit out of me,
so just tell me what's wrong.
LORRAINE
Nothing is wrong. We want to talk.
JOSH
Nobody asks you to sit down unless
something is wrong. If a doctor
calls you into his office and asks
you to sit down, you're fucked.
RENAI
There's no use, Lorraine. He's been
drinking.
JOSH
I have not been drinking. Not
enough that we can't talk to each
other, Renai. And don't judge me in
that bitchy tone, okay?
RENAI
(to Lorraine)
He would never speak to me like
that before.
JOSH
Christ. You're acting like I'm some
lush who comes home and beats you
with a belt. At least I'm speaking
to you. You suddenly have to speak
to a priest. Or my mother who, up
until a couple of weeks ago, you
couldn't stand.
RENAI
You're an asshole.
LORRAINE
Your wife needs you. Now sit down and
listen to her. I won't ask you again. Josh obeys. His mothers tone can still shut him up.
LORRAINE (CONT'D)
Go on, Renai. Tell him.
RENAI
This...thing that was in the other
house. It followed us.
Josh shifts in his seat. Agitated.
LORRAINE
Let her speak.
RENAI
I saw someone again today. In the
house. It looked like a young boy.
I followed it into Dalton's room...
but it wasn't a child.
(beat)
This thing is here. I know it.
JOSH
So...what? You called in a priest
to get rid of it?
RENAI
I didn't know what else to do.
JOSH
Are you kidding me?
(to Lorraine)
Was this your idea?
RENAI
No. It was mine.
JOSH
You've never been to a church in
your life. Now you're inviting a
priest into our home? I feel like I
don't even know you right now.
RENAI
I'm scared.
JOSH
This is a fantasy, and you need a
therapist, not a member of the
clergy.
RENAI
(to Lorraine)
I told you. LORRAINE
What's happening to Renai is real.
I've seen it for myself.
(beat)
I came here today because last night
I had a dream about this place.
INT. KITCHEN, NEW HOUSE - NIGHT
We are FLOATING through the corridor, looking through
Lorraine's POV.
We are inside her dream.
LORRAINE (V.O.)
I was in this house...but it was
late at night.
The POV keeps moving, out of the kitchen and into the hall.
LORRAINE (V.O.) (CONT'D)
I tried to be quiet. I didn't want
to wake anybody. I was afraid.
The POV floats down the hall, reaching a door. The door
opens, revealing Josh and Renai, sleeping.
LORRAINE (V.O.) (CONT'D)
I looked into your bedroom. You
were both asleep.
The POV keeps moving down the hall.
LORRAINE (V.O.) (CONT'D)
I knew that I was asleep in the
dream...but I could feel that
someone was awake in the house.
We keep pushing on, reaching the door to Dalton's room.
LORRAINE (V.O.) (CONT'D)
I went into Dalton's room.
The door pushes open. In the dark, we can see Dalton, in bed.
LORRAINE (V.O.) (CONT'D)
There was someone in there with him.
The POV turns to see a DARK FIGURE, standing in the corner.
LORRAINE (V.O.) (CONT'D)
A man was standing in the corner of
the room.....