Unwell Season 3/Episode 9- Unfinished Business
by Jim McDoniel
A watched email never updates
Connecting the dots
Filthy meat eaters
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This episode features: Kathleen Hoil as Abbie, Amelia Bethel as Marisol, Marsha Harman as Dot, Anuja Vaidya as Norah, Matt Young as Tim, Dallis Seeker as Grant, Ele Matelan as [REDACTED], Sebastian Orr as [REDACTED].
Written by Jim McDoniel, sound design by Ryan Schile, directed by Jeffrey Nils Gardner, theme music composed by Stephen Poon, recording engineer Mel Ruder, associate producer TH Ponders, Theme performed by Stephen Poon, Lauren Kelly, Gunnar Jebsen, Travis Elfers, Mel Ruder, and Betsey Palmer, Unwell lead sound designer Eli Hamada McIlveen, Executive Producers Eleanor Hyde and Jeffrey Nils Gardner, by HartLife NFP.
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INT. FENWOOD HOUSE. EVENING.
ABBIE’S ROOM. WE HEAR THEM CLICKING THE MOUSE ON THEIR LAPTOP OVER AND OVER.
THEY GET UP. WALK AROUND. THEN RETURN TO THE LAPTOP AND CLICK THE MOUSE.
ABBIE: Come on.
CLICK THE MOUSE.
Now.
CLICK THE MOUSE.
…now.
CLICK THE MOUSE.
(GROAN OF FRUSTRATION) Make up your minds!
CLICK THE MOUSE.
ABBIE: Whatever. Whatever. A watched e-mail never updates. Stop thinking of yourself. We’ve got work to do.
CLICK THE MOUSE.
That’s it.
THEY GET UP AND PICK UP A BAG AND THEIR JACKET. THEY PAUSE AT THE DOOR. WALK AWAY FROM THE DOOR. AND CLICK THE MOUSE ONE LAST TIME.
I’m done.
THEY WALK OUT THE DOOR AND RUN STRAIGHT INTO MARISOL.
MARISOL: Whoo..(ps). Hey Abbie. Sorry.
ABBIE: Marisol. You’re back.
MARISOL: Yeah. Lily and I…we worked some things out. I think.
ABBIE: And I take it by the bottLES you two are planning a night in?
MARISOL: That’s the idea. Netflix and Chill. (PAUSE) God I sound uncool.
ABBIE: It’s fine. Most people do.
MARISOL: Sorry, you were on your way up. Do you need to talk to Lily?
ABBIE: (PAUSE) No. That’s okay. You two…have fun?
MARISOL: This is awkward. I’m just gonna…
ABBIE: Yeah.
MARISOL CONTINUES UP THE STAIRS TO LILY’S ROOM. ABBIE WALKS TO RUDY’S ROOM (WHEREVER THE HELL THAT IS.) THEY KNOCK.
Rudy? Are you there?
PAUSE. NO ANSWER.
(SIGH) Of course not.
THEY TURN AND CONTINUE ON THEIR WAY OUT BUT ARE STOPPED AT DOT’S ROOM.
DOT: (OFF) Lily that you?
ABBIE: No. It’s me, Mrs. Harper.
DOT WALKS UP TO THE DOOR.
DOT: (OFF) Ah. Thought I heard someone sneaking out. Assumed it was Lily. Hey, come on in here for a minute.
ABBIE: Is it…necessary?
DOT: Humor me.
ABBIE: (SIGH)
ABBIE ENTERS. THEY BOTH WALK INTO DOT’S SITTING ROOM AREA. DOT SITS DOWN IN A CHAIR.
DOT: Have a seat.
ABBIE: Am I in trouble?
DOT: Sit.
ABBIE DOES. THE LEATHERY CUSHIONS SLOWLY DEFLATE IN A WAY THAT SOUNDS LIKE A FART.
(LAUGHS)
ABBIE: Did you pick this couch solely based on the sound it makes?
DOT: Maybe. But it is darn comfortable once you settle into it.
PAUSE.
DOT So.
ABBIE: So.
DOT: We haven’t really talked.
ABBIE: We have talked an adequate amount.
DOT: Since Christmas.
PAUSE.
Lily’s my daughter. I know what it looks like when someone’s avoiding me.
ABBIE: I don’t know what you want me to say.
DOT: I don’t know what I want to say.
ABBIE: Then why’d you invite me in here?
DOT: I figured…it would come to me in the moment. (SIGH) How about this? I know shit went down. I don’t remember exactly what but judging by how you and Lily have been treating me it wasn’t pretty.
ABBIE: (BLURTING IT OUT) It wasn’t. Pretty, I mean.
DOT: I’m sorry.
ABBIE: It’s fine.
DOT: No. You’re not listening to me. I’m. Sorry. I shouldn’t have treated you like that.
ABBIE: It wasn’t…
DOT: Me. Bullshit. It was me. I decided not to take my meds, sound mind and all. Because “I didn’t wanna.” Because who needs ‘em. Because doctors are stupid and Lily’s just nagging and I know what I’m doing. You shouldn’t have had to deal with that. That’s not what you signed up for.
ABBIE: It was exactly what I signed up for when Lily asked me to watch over you.
DOT: Regardless. I should have been…better. I should have treated you better and other me…the confused me that I can’t remember, I should have treated you better too. It won’t happen again.
ABBIE: I know.
DOT: You do.
ABBIE: I also use the bathrooms.
DOT: Right. Sorry about that too. Side effects may include: a need for stronger air freshener. I’ll have Wes…I’ll pick some up in the morning. (PAUSE) Awkward segue: what cookies do you like?
ABBIE: Why?
DOT: So I know what kind to make obviously.
ABBIE: To bribe me with because you feel guilty?
DOT: Maybe. Cookies?
PAUSE.
ABBIE: Nothing with nuts.
DOT: Allergic?
ABBIE: I just don’t know why you’d use nuts when chocolate exists.
DOT: Too many chocolate chips cookies it is. You’ll have them tomorrow.
ABBIE: We don’t have the ingredients.
DOT: I will go to the store and buy ingredients tomorrow. And air freshener. You can go.
ABBIE GETS UP TO LEAVE.
Oh and Abbie.
ABBIE STOPS.
ABBIE: Yeah.
DOT: Call me Mrs. Harper again and I will give your e-mail address to every flat earth, creationist science, psychic new age, antivax, bigfoot hunter, and conspiracy theory newsletter the internet has to offer. Do I make myself clear?
ABBIE: Crystal, Dot.
DOT: Good. You can go now.
ABBIE LEAVES.
TRANSITION.
INT. THE OBSERVATORY. LATER.
CHALK DRAWING ON A CHALK BOARD.
THE SOUND OF A BALL BEING BOUNCED OFF THE FLOOR, OFF THE WALL, AND THEN CAUGHT.
THE SOUND OF A BALL BEING BOUNCED OFF THE FLOOR, OFF THE WALL, AND THEN CAUGHT.
THE SOUND OF A BALL BEING BOUNCED HARDER OFF THE FLOOR, OFF THE WALL, BOUNCING OFF THE FLOOR AGAIN, AND THEN CAUGHT.
THE SOUND OF THE BALL BEING BOUNCED OFF THE FLOOR, OFF THE WALL, OFF THE FLOOR AGAIN, AND THEN CAUGHT.
THE SOUND OF THE BALL BEING BOUNCED OFF THE FLOOR…
THE CHALK STOPS.
ABBIE: Can you not?
OFF THE WALL AND THEN DRIBBLING TO THE GROUND AND ROLLING OFF.
NORAH: You broke my concentration.
THE CHALK BEGINS AGAIN.
ABBIE: It’s annoying.
NORAH: It’s amazing. I can feel the ball. FEEL IT. The weight of it in my hand. The elasticity pushing back against the pressure of a squeeze.
OFF THE FLOOR. OFF THE WALL. OFF ANOTHER WALL. INTO HER HAND.
I have spent decades with these walls. I know every angle, every divot, every imperfection. Now I can test them.
OFF THE FLOOR. HITS A LOOSE BOLT. AND GOES SKITTERING AWAY AND DOWN SOME STAIRS.
NORAH: And I can catch…bollocks!
NORAH GOES AFTER THE BALL.
ABBIE: (SNORT LAUGH)
(CALLING AFTER NORAH) Would you say your ability to catch bollocks has increased with continuous interaction with the living?
NORAH: (OFF) I would say that a lady doesn’t discuss how she handles such things.
NORAH RETURNS.
Though I understand some delicacy is required.
ABBIE: Seriously though.
NORAH: We agreed. I am not a case study. (PAUSE) And there’s not enough data to say either way.
BALL BOUNCES OFF THE FLOOR, OFF THE WALL, AND IS CAUGHT.
ABBIE: All right.
A BOARD IS RAISED.
ABBIE: Here is a rough map of the town.
NORAH: Is that what that is?
ABBIE: This…
CIRCLES IN CHALK.
…is the observatory where Wes disappeared. This…
CIRCLES IN CHALK.
…is where Dot wandered off to. She’s…sixty percent sure she saw Wes there. This is where his “house” at 1974 East Oak Street appears and disappears.
CIRCLES IN CHALK.
And this…
CIRCLES IN CHALK.
ABBIE: …is the tool and dye shop where someone saw someone who Rudy said might have been Wes.
NORAH: Who are these stick figures?
ABBIE: Known ghosts. You. Wes. Silas. Tim.
EACH PERSON’S NAME IS PUNCTUATED WITH A TAP OF CHALK.
NORAH: That is supposed to be me? Why am I stabbing myself in the face?
ABBIE: It’s the telescope. You’re looking through the telescope. (PAUSE) If you don’t like it, draw your own picture.
NORAH: Thank you, I think I will. Chalk?
Wait… (TO HERSELF) Concentrate.
(TO ABBIE) All right…go ahead.
ABBIE PASSES NORAH THE CHALK. VERY LIGHT CHALK NOISES AS NORAH BEGINS TO DRAW.
ABBIE: What can we take away from this data?
NORAH: That you did not come here for this data.
ABBIE: Yes, I did.
NORAH: You could have drawn your stick figure map at home. There was no reason to come all the way to the observatory to copy it onto a blackboard.
ABBIE: I needed some peace and quiet.
NORAH: There is no peace and quiet here. Only me.
ABBIE: I needed to get out of my room and do something that isn’t checking my e-mail every thirty seconds to see if the committee overseeing my doctoral thesis have made a decision regarding the validity of my research and my funding. So yes, I am here for this data because focusing on a problem I can actually solve with the help of a…colleague might distract me from the life and death of my academic career which is utterly out of my control.
NORAH HAS STOPPED DRAWING. PAUSE. TAP ON THE CHALKBOARD BEFORE THE DRAWING CONTINUES.
NORAH: Tell me about this sighting with Dot. She saw Wes.
ABBIE: Yes. She was…There was an incident. She wandered away. When she got back she mentioned seeing Wes. But she could have just been confused.
NORAH: How serious was this incident?
ABBIE: Fairly. Why?
NORAH: When I first appeared, Rudy asked me if I had unfinished business. Some kind of task, I needed to do. Apparently such things are common among ghosts. I wish to have my telescope fixed. Wes…I can’t say. But he has been taking care of the Fenwood House, yes? Taking care of Dot?
ABBIE: And when Dot needed him, Wes appeared. THE CHALK STOPS.
ABBIE: Wow…that’s…good.
NORAH: A young lady cannot sit around thinking of the stars all day. She must learn proper skills: to sew, to cook, to draw, to sing. My mother was very old-fashioned in what she wanted for her daughters. There is a problem though…
ABBIE: The chin is a little smaller than…
NORAH: The problem is two is not a pattern. Corroboration requires a third instance.
ABBIE: We need a third ghost.
END OF SCENE. TRANSITION.
EXT. HUNTER’S DINER. NIGHT.
WE HEAR A CAR COME TO A STOP AND THE ENGINE TURN OFF.
ABBIE: Flashlight?
FLASHLIGHT CLICK.
ABBIE: Check. Extra batteries for flashlight.
CLINK IN THEIR HAND.
Check. Coffee?
SLOSH OF A THERMOS OF COFFEE.
Here we go.
DOOR OPENS. THEY STEP OUT. DOOR CLOSES.
Another night shift at Hunter’s. Yay.
THEY WALK TOWARD THE BUILDING PRESSING BUTTONS ON THEIR PHONE AS THEY DO. WE HEAR A SKYPE-ISH RING SOUND. A SKYPE-ISH PICKUP SOUND.
Norah?
NORAH COMES THROUGH THE PHONE FACE-TIME.
NORAH: (D) You can make calls where you see the person now? Why do you not use this all the time?
ABBIE: Because pants are a hassle. You remember my instructions?
NORAH: (D) Yes. Yes. One for Lily. Two for Dr. Peltham. Three for Ms. Cabrera. Do you remember what you said the last time you went exploring by yourself?
ABBIE: This is not exploring. This is explored. Past tense. There are no surprises here.
NORAH: (D) Which is why I am on your phone ready to dial one for Lily, two for Dr. Peltham, three for…If I have your phone, how are we talking?
ABBIE: Dot let me borrow hers in exchange for forgiveness. Look, it’s fine. I don’t even have to break in. I have keys.
JANGLE OF KEYS. KEYS IN A LOCK. THE DOOR TURNS.
ABBIE: See?
ABBIE ENTERS. THE CARPET SQUISHES WITH THEIR FOOTSTEPS. INSIDE THERE IS AN
ALMOST IMPERCEPTIBLE DISCONCERTING WHINE LIKE FLORESCENT LIGHTS OR INFRASOUND.
ABBIE: Ugh. And I thought this place couldn’t get any worse.
THEY WALK BACK BEHIND THE COUNTER AND FLIP A LIGHTSWITCH. ONCE. TWICE. NOTHING.
No power.
NORAH: (D) Shine the flashlight around. I want to take a look.
PAUSE AS THE PHONE SCANS THE DINING ROOM.
When did you say this diner closed down?
ABBIE: November.
NORAH: (D) Because it looks like…
ABBIE: Rot. (LOOKING AROUND) Mildew. Mold. Toxic mold. But in the middle of winter, there’s no way it should have…
NORAH: (D) Is that a beaver?
ABBIE: Hmm? Table five? No, it’s a groundhog. Was a groundhog. Now it’s a nest for something. (PAUSE) Huh.
NORAH: (D) What is it?
ABBIE: Half the table displays are missing. Leave it to Mount Fucking Absalom to steal the shitty taxidermy.
SOMEWHERE IN THE BACKGROUND WE HEAR FLAPPING WINGS BUT NAH PROBABLY NOT. ABBIE’S SQUISHY STEPS GO BACK TOWARD TABLE TWO. THEY SLIDE INTO THE BOOTH.
ABBIE: Tim? Tim are you here? I brought coffee.
THE FULL THERMOS SHAKING.
ABBIE: Better coffee. Real coffee.
THEY POUR SOME OF THE THERMOS OUT INTO THE LID CUP.
ABBIE: Mmmmm.
NORAH: (D) I doubt “coffee” is his unfinished business.
ABBIE: I thought recreating the conditions by which he usually appeared might induce a response.
NORAH: (D) That…is not an unreasonable hypothesis. What else?
ABBIE: Um…the pies would rotate counter-clockwise.
ABBIE WALKS OVER TO THE COUNTER. FLIES BUZZ. THEY SET THE PHONE DOWN.
I should have brought gloves.
ABBIE TURNS THE PIES.
ABBIE: So table two has coffee. The pies are turning counter-clockwise and the radio plays music. Which I can’t do and also have my phone on. I’ll need to call you back in…
NORAH: (D) (SINGING)
As I walked by the dockside one evening so fair
To view the salt water and take the sea air
I heard an old fisherman singing a song
you take me away boys my time is not long
Wrap me up in my oil-skin and jumper
No more on the docks I’ll be seen
Just tell my old shipmates, I’m taking a trip mates
And I’ll see you some day in Fiddler’s Green.
APPLAUSE FROM TABLE TWO.
TIM: That was lovely. Even through the little TV there.
NORAH: (D) Is that him?
ABBIE SQUELCHES FROM THE COUNTER TO TABLE TWO.
ABBIE: Tim.
TIM: Abbie, right? You don’t mind, if I...(drink this coffee)?
ABBIE: Go right ahead. It’s why I brought it.
TIM: Thanks.
TIM SIPS HIS COFFEE.
TIM: Oooo. You were right, that is better. You certainly have let this place go to seed. Glad I don’t have to fix it. Who’s on your TV?
ABBIE: Tim the diner ghost meet Norah the observatory ghost.
NORAH: Hello.
TIM: Another one. Huh. How about that?
SIPS COFFEE.
I seem to recall me and Grant went up to that observatory when we started up and got scared half to death by something. Would have been…oh…Fall of ‘71, Spring of ’72? Somewhere around there. I don’t suppose...?
ECHO TRANSMITTED THROUGH THE PHONE.
TIM: (D) (ECHO) Jesus, Grant what was that?
GRANT: (D) (ECHO) (LAUGHING) I told you this place is haunted.
TIM: (D) (ECHO) I didn’t think you were serious. I thought you just wanted to get me alone somewhere.
GRANT: (D) (ECHO) Can’t it be both?
ECHO ENDS.
TIM: That’s that then. Always thought it was a possum.
ABBIE: Look, Tim. We need to ask…why are you here?
TIM: In the philosophical sense?
ABBIE: In the…not dead sense.
NORAH: (D) Do you have any unfinished business?
TIM: Oh like in the movies. Hadn’t really thought about it in a while. I guess…I didn’t get around to fixing that old creaky step. And I wanted to rebuild the porch. The wood started looking pretty old by the end. (TO ABBIE) You should watch yourself there.
ABBIE: So no.
TIM: None that I can think of.
ABBIE: So why do you think you came back in the first place.
TIM: Grant.
ABBIE: That’s it.
TIM: He’s my heart. We weren’t together all that long. Only seven years before… Barely any time at all. I couldn’t just leave.
He needed me.
ABBIE: Needed you.
TIM: We had twenty-four years total. Most of that after. Twenty-four good years. Couldn’t ask for anything more.
ABBIE: But he needed you and you came back.
TIM: Yeah.
NORAH: (D) And is he here now. Is he a ghost?
TIM: No.
NORAH: (D) So why are you still here?
TIM: I don’t…you know when you’re going through a junk drawer and you find a tiny screw. And you know, you KNOW you kept it for a reason, it went to something important and you can’t for the life of you remember what?
FLUTTER OF WINGS.
ABBIE: Jesus!
WEIRD LOON SOUND.
ABBIE: What the hell?
NORAH: (D) Abbie what is it?
ABBIE It’s the taxidermy loon from table ten.
WEIRD LOON SOUND AS IF TO SAY “YES.”
RUFFLE OF FEATHERS.
ABBIE: And I think it just nodded at me.
NORAH: (D) Tim is gone.
ABBIE: What? Oh. Shit.
LOON RUFFLES ITS FEATHERS AND WADDLES AWAY IN A HURRY. JANGLE OF KEYS IN THE DOOR. OH SHIT!
ABBIE HIDES. CLICK OF FLASHLIGHT TURNING OFF. KEYS TURN. THE DOOR OPENS AND SHUTS. STUTTERING FOOTSTEPS WALK IN. THEY STOP. THE WAITRESS SPEAKS, CROAKIER THAN BEFORE.
WAITRESS: (CALLING OUT) Back.
STRANGE BREATHING. NOTHING MOVES.
NORAH: (D) Abbie? What is going on? Abbie?
ABBIE: Shhhh.
WAITRESS: (CALLING OUT) We’re closed.
NORAH: (D) Abbie?
FOOTSTEPS APPROACH.
ABBIE: (LOW) Shut up. Just…stay quiet for a minute.
WAITRESS: We’re closed! You’re trespassing!
ABBIE: Hey it’s me.
WAITRESS: We’re closed.
ABBIE: I know. I work here. Remember? Abbie?
WAITRESS: You work here. I remember. Abbie. We’re closed. Health inspector.
ABBIE: I know.
WAITRESS: We’ll call you. You’re trespassing.
ABBIE: I just…I came to turn in my keys.
JANGLE OF KEYS.
WAITRESS: Keysssssssss.
ABBIE: Yep. So. Here they are.
WAITRESS: You need to give them to the Proprietorrrrrrrrrrrr. (HALF WOLF YIP) Down the hall. Past the kitchen. On the left.
ABBIE: I know. I work here.
WAITRESS: You work here.
THEY SQUISH TOWARD THE COUNTER AND START DOWN THE HALL.
ABBIE: (LOW) Norah. I think it’s time to call Lily.
NORAH: (D) Are you sure?
ABBIE: (LOW) Call Lily. Tell her where I am.
BEEP OF THE PHONE BEING HUNG UP. ABBIE CONTINUES TO THE DESIGNATED DOOR. THEY KNOCK.
Hello?
THEY PUSH THE DOOR OPEN. IT CREAKS. WE HEAR THE SOUNDS OF RIPPING FLESH AND FEEDING.
ABBIE Oh my God!
THE PROPRIETOR FINISHES DOG-LIKE CHEWING OF SOME MEATY BIT.
PROPRIETOR: Ah. Yes. Abbie. AAAAAAA-Beeeeee. My apologies. I was just…emptying out this wood grouse. For a new display on table fourteen.
HE HANDS ABBIE DRIPPING MEAT.
PROPRIETOR: What do you think?
ABBIE: I just came to…drop off my keys.
PROPRIETOR: Keysssss. Yesssss. And I think you’ve got something coming to you, yesssssss. For your last week. Something coming to you.
ABBIE: That’s okay.
PROPRIETOR: Something coming to you.
ABBIE: I’ll pick it up some other time.
ABBIE BACKS UP.
PROPRIETOR: Where are you going? I (WEIRD INHALE) am a gentleman. And you have to get….what’s coming to you.
HISS AND CRACK OF BONES. SOMEWHERE BEYOND THE WAITRESS HOWLS.
ABBIE: Fuck!
PROPRIETOR: (FULL SNARL) LANGUAGE!
ABBIE OPENS THE DOOR AND DIVES OUT. THEY SHUT THE DOOR ON A THUD AND SCRABBLE OF CLAWS. SQUISHING FOOTSTEPS AND ANOTHER SNARL BETRAY ANOTHER DANGER.
WAITRESS: (ALSO FULL SNARL) TRESSSSPASSSS.
ABBIE: FUUUCK!
ABBIE RUNS. THEY RUN DOWN THE HALL. THE DOOR FLIES OPEN AND WE HEAR HOWLING. FOUR LEGGED FOOTSTEPS.
ABBIE: (UNABBIE-LIKE PANIC) Where is it? Where is it? Where’s the back door? I’ve used the back door. It should be here. The diner is not this big. WHY ISN’T IT HERE?
BATHROOM!
THEY RUN INSIDE AND SLAM THE DOOR SHUT. THEN THEY TURN THE FLIMSY LITTLE LOCK. BANG AGAINST THE DOOR WITH BARKS AND SNARLS FROM THE OTHER SIDE.
ABBIE: (LOW) Go away.
ANOTHER DESPERATELY HARD BANG! AGAINST THE DOOR.
ABBIE: (CALLING OUT) The bathroom is occupied.
FISTS AND CLAWS TEARING AT THE DOOR.
(LOUDER) The bathroom is occupied and you are a gentleman. You have to wait.
THE NOISES STOP. ABBIE FALLS TO THEIR KNEES.
ABBIE: (TO THEMSELVES) What now? What now? Think.
FLUTTER AND WEIRD LOON HONK ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR.
ABBIE: (LOW) Table Ten?
WEIRD LOON HONK AND FLAP.
ABBIE: (LOW) Are they still out there Table Ten?
WEIRD LOON HONK.
(LOW) Can you…can you see the back door?
FLAP OF WINGS. STILTED WADDLE. WEIRD LOON HONK.
ABBIE: It’s there?
ANOTHER LOON HONK.
Do you think I can make it?
SILENCE.
ABBIE’S BREATHING SHAKES IN SILENT TEARS.
PACING AND SNARLS DISTANT IN THE DINER.
HONK FROM THE LOON.
ABBIE: I’m sorry. You’re right. You’re right.
THEY SNIFF BACK TEARS AND PUT THEIR HAND ON THE DOOR.
Don’t look. Just run. You know where the door is. It’ll be there. Just…run. Just…
THEY QUIETLY UNLOCK THE DOOR.
(LOW) One. Two. Three. (PAUSE.)
THE DOOR SWINGS OPEN AND THEY RUN. WE HEAR THEIR FOOTSTEPS. THEIR BREATHING. THEIR HEARTBEAT. NOTHING ELSE. UNTIL THE SLAM OF A CRASH BAR AND A SPILL ONTO CEMENT. THE DOOR SWINGS CLOSE. ABBIE LAYS THERE BREATHING FOR A MOMENT.
ABBIE: THE DOOR!
THEY SCRABBLE TO THEIR FEET AND THROW THEMSELVES AT THE DOOR. SILENCE.
NOTHING. AND THEN…LIGHT TAPPING.
ABBIE: Hello? Table Ten?
WAITRESS: (MUFFLED) (LOW) We’re cloooooossed.
THEY RUN TO FROM THE DOOR. HEAVY BREATHING. THE CAR DOOR OPENS AND SHUTS.
THE CAR IS STARTED AND PEELS AWAY. PAUSE.
ABBIE BREATHES. THE PHONE RINGS. THEY LET OUT AN ABRUPT SCREAM AND A HYSTERIC LAUGH BEFORE PULLING THEMSELVES TOGETHER AND ANSWER.
ABBIE: Hey Lily. No. I’m…I’m fine. False alarm. (PAUSE) I know what she said. It’s fine. It’s all…(SHAKING IN THEIR VOICE AS THEY START TO LOSE IT) I’ll fill you in tomorrow. Go back to bed. Yes I promise. Bye.
ABBIE HANGS UP. THE SHAKING IN THEIR BREATHING WORSENS. THE CAR SKIDS TO A HALT AND IS PUT IN PARK. THEY LET OUT A SERIES OF WAILING SCREAMS AS THEY BREAK DOWN AND CRY.
END.