A Monster Calls Page #2

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Mum

You’ve had breakfast?

ConoR

Yes, mum.

She gives him a look. She may be ill, but she’s still Mum.

Conor (CONT’D)

(exasperated)

Toast, cereal and juice.

(mum sees no sign)

I washed the dishes.

Mum

(quietly, looking at the

clean kitchen)

There's washing going too.

CONOR:

Yes Mum.

Mum reaches for the BROOM..

MuM

(sighs)

I’m sorry I wasn’t up.

ConoR

It’s okay.

Mum

You know, it’s just this new round

of-

Conor

It’s okay.

Mum is surprised at strength of his interruption, but she

lets it pass. She turns to the groceries and the box.

MuM

(caught)

Your grandma’s coming to stay with

us tomorrow for a few days.

CONOR:

Aw, mum. We don’t need her here

18.

MUM:

You know how I get at this point in

the treatments-

CONOR:

We’ve been okay every time before-

Mum

You shouldn’t have to make yourself

breakfast every morning-

CONOR:

I’m fine-

MUM:

CONOR.

Frases Conor complaining

Beat, as it’s Conor’s turn to be shocked at the interruption.

Mum, exhausted, smiles again.

Mum (CONT’D)

Only a few days, I promise. That’s

all I can take, too. Like living

with your boss.

(laughs)

She’s going to bring me a box full

of wigs she got somewhere, if you

can believe it. Be lucky if I don’t

end up looking like a zombie Lady

Gaga.

Conor is relaxing, the atmosphere improving. Mum regards him

for a moment, then ruffles his hair.

MUM (CONT’D)

(fake serious)

Now, tell me you haven’t shrunk my

favourite wool jumpers?

Conor laughs shyly.

Mum (CONT’D)

Go on, go.

(as he crosses to his bag)

Stop dragging your feet!

He picks them up comically, like a clown. As Conor puts his

rucksack on, Mum leans against the counter, looking out the

window.

19.

16-16A

EXT. CONOR’S HOUSE DRIVEWAY/ STREETS - later 16-16A

Conor walks to school, rucksack on his back. It’s a bit of a

journey, and he pulls his coat tight against the cold.

20.

16B Ext. SHOP ROAD - moRNING 16B

He’s deep in thought, but he’s distracted by one SHOP WINDOW

(the ART SHOP where his paper bag was from). Inside the

window are a set of art pencils that he obviously craves.

He’s about to walk on but he sees someone down the street. He

steps into the doorway to hide while he watches:

A girl, LILY, 12, thick glasses, the friend from the photo in

his bedroom. She’s harmless, goofy, charming, but Conor holds

back so she won’t see him.

21.

17

Ext. SCHOOL OUTSIDE - momENTS LATER 17

Establish. Conor & Lily are in the first year of secondary,

so they’re the tiniest students among giants.

22.

18 ExT. ALLEY/ SPORTS FIELD - later 18

C/U on Conor falling, as if pushed, hitting the concrete

path. Still down, he puts his hand to his lip. It comes away

bloody.

Behind him, we see HARRY, 13, blond wonder boy, calmly

vicious bully, flanked by ANTON and SULLY, both 13. Harry is

straightening his leg, clearly having tripped Conor.

Harry

Careful there, O’Malley. You might

fall.

The minions laugh. Conor is resigned. This isn’t new. He

reaches for his bag and starts to get up, but a perfectly

timed trip from Harry sends him falling again.

HARRY (CONT’D)

Always off in your own little

dreamworld. What’s there that’s so

interesting, O’Malley?

The minions keep laughing. Conor starts to rise again.

There’s blood on his lip.

sully

(joyous)

He’s bleeding!

anton

He’ll have to get his slaphead

mother to kiss it for him!

Silence, as the group absorbs this crossing of the line.

Conor’s face hardens, but before he can respond, Lily bounces

back into the scene.

Lily

You leave him alone! [Cowards!

There’s three of you and one of

him! I’m not scared of you! You’re

pathetic!]

Conor winces, and Harry’s minions are already laughing. Not

Harry, though, who never stops looking at Conor.

SuLLY

Your puppy’s here to save you,

O’Malley!

Outraged, Lily - who is, in fact, a little puppy-ish - pushes

Sully hard. Surprised, he falls backwards over a shrubbery.

LILY:

I’m just making it a fair fight!

23.

MISS KWAN (O.S.)

LILY EVANS!

Everyone freezes as Head of Year MISS KWAN (late 30s, British-

Chinese descent, stern but fair) storms over.

LILY:

They started it, Miss!

MisS KWAN

I don’t want to hear it.

(to Sully, now rising)

Are you hurt, Sullivan?

Sully, seeing an opening, fakes injury. Badly.

SullY

I might need to go home, Miss.

MISS KWAN:

Don’t milk it.

(to Lily)

My office, Lily.

LILY:

But, Miss, they were-

MISS KWAN:

Now.

LILY:

They were making fun of Conor’s

mother!

Everyone freezes. A dangerous silence.

Miss KWAN

Is this true, Conor?

Conor looks from Anton to Sully, and on to Lily, her face

burning with injustice, but then to Harry, who is as calm and

firmly fixed on Conor as ever.

ConoR

(eyes on Harry)

No, Miss. I just fell. They were

helping me up.

Lily looks like she’s been slapped.

MISS KWAN:

Get to your forms.

(to Lily)

Not you.

Miss Kwan drags an aghast Lily away. Conor watches them go.

When he turns back, Harry is holding out Conor’s bag for him.

24.

Harry

Well done, O’Malley.

Beat. Conor takes the bag and makes his way inside.

25.

19 Int. Physical Social and Education class - lATER 19

A Powerpoint display at the front of the class reads: “THE

MIRACLE OF BIRTH”. MR CLARK, 40s, wry, kind, perhaps a bit

soft, steps up next to it.

Mr Clark

Brace yourselves.

Conor sits at the back, an empty desk next to him. He looks

very drowsy.

MR Clark (CONT’D)

We’ve been studying this all week.

You’ve seen the diagrams, heard the

descriptions. You think you’re

ready to watch the real thing.

He gives a you-have-no-idea-what-you’re-in-for chuckle and

clicks to start a hilariously graphic CHILDBIRTH DOCUMENTARY

on the Powerpoint.

The sounds from the documentary (”The cervix fully dilates to

10 centimeters and the baby's head crowns when the widest

part of it reaches the vaginal opening”, complete with sounds

of a mother in labour) fade as we focus on Conor, looking

exhausted, falling asleep propping up his face with his hand.

He’s sitting under the A/C vent and the sound of it starts to

merge with a WIND sound, that eventually rises to the

SOUNDTRACK of the NIGHTMARE we heard over the TITLES. We

close on Conor, the soundtrack rising to a FAINT SCREAMING

(”Conor!”).

Mr Clark (CONT’D)

Conor?

Conor jumps as Mr Clark is right next to him. He waits to see

if he’s in trouble. But Mr Clark looks overly sympathetic.

MR Clark (CONT’D)

You all right there? You look

tired.

(beat, nothing from Conor)

You know, if you ever wanted to

talk

He’s interrupted by a labour-scream from the video and an

accompanying SHOUT OF HORROR from the class who can’t believe

what they’re seeing (”As soon as the baby's head comes out,

the doctor will suction amniotic fluid, blood, and mucus from

they baby’s nose and mouth”). Mr Clark looks up with an

amused smile, gives Conor a last look, and keeps patrolling

the classroom.

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