A Monster Calls Page #16

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179.

CONOR (CONT'D)

You’ve never seen a monster, have

you?

Dad stares back, concerned.

DAD:

Oh, I’ve seen plenty.

180.

111 ExT. grandma’s driveway - morning 111

Conor’s Dad hugs him goodbye.

DaD

I’ll be back as soon as I can.

ConoR

What if it’s not fast enough?

DAD:

We’ll Skype. And I’m only ever a

phone call away.

CONOR:

(beat)

I hope your baby is okay.

DAD:

Your half-sister. And thank you.

(beat)

Conor, listen, I

CONOR:

You don’t have to.

DAD:

(confused)

I don’t have to what?

CONOR:

(shrugs)

Just... you don’t have to.

Dad has no answer. His son is giving him permission to leave

him behind. He hugs Conor, but doesn’t contradict him.

DAD:

Back as soon as I can.

Conor makes a sad little wave at him, then turns his back to

go inside.

Fade to bLACK.

181.

Nightmare

The nightmare sounds rise again, screaming, yelling,

crescendo to-

CuT TO:

MUSIC RISES. A montage of days passing:

182.

112-112AInt./EXT. GranDMA’S SITTING ROOM/DRIVEWAY - day 112-112A

Conor, almost angrily, packs away all the rubbish bags he and

his father have collected, stuffing them into the bin

outside.

183.

113 InT. hospital room - day 113

Conor sits in a corner chair while, out of focus, FRIENDS OF

HIS MUM visit her. Lily’s mum is one of them, and she’s

there, too. Conor ignores her, playing on his phone instead.

184.

114 InT. SHOP ROAD - DAY 114

Conor stops by the shop window again, but the case of

coloured pencils has been replaced by something else. He

sighs and walks on.

185.

115 InT. phySICAL SOCIAL AND EDUCATION CLASS - dAY 115

Conor sits at his desk, drawing on his SKETCHPAD and ignoring

the lesson. Ms. Kwan lectures about BULLYING on the

Powerpoint (along with, ironically, a sign that reads “This

school operates a zero-tolerance anti-bullying policy”).

Classmates’ hands (including Lily, next to Conor) are in the

air.

Ms. Kwan walks by Conor’s desk. She and Conor exchange a

look, and we see Ms.Kwan decide to let Conor keep drawing.

Conor’s become untouchable. Which is worse than ever. Harry

catches his eye. Conor looks away.

186.

116 InT. hoSPITAL ROOM - daY 116

Conor is at the door to the room. His Mum, helped by a FEMALE

NURSE, is in distress. Fear in her eyes, his Mum gestures

angrily for Grandma to get Conor out of the room. Grandma

does. She’s stern, though, not spiteful.

187.

117 Omitted 117

188.

118

EXT. grandMA’S driveWAY - momENTS LATER 118

Conor drags the wheelie bin to the curb among several plastic

bags waiting to be pick up by the dustmen.

189.

119

InT. grandMA’S SITTING ROOM - DAY 119

Conor in the middle of the now-empty sitting room. It seems

MUCH bigger.

190.

120

InT. school BLUE HALLWAY - dAY 120

Conor walks against the flow of students, alone. They leave

an area around him, as if they can’t see him at all.

191.

121 InT. phySICAL SOCIAL AND EDUCATION CLASS - latER 121

Conor sits at his desk again. We finally sees what he’s

drawn. It’s a FLIP-ANIMATION on the corner of his textbook.

He flips the pages to animate it: It’s a drawing of him

falling into a huge black hole.

MUSIC FINISHES:

192.

122 InT. scHOOL CAFETERIA - DAY 122

Conor sits alone, not eating the food in front of him,

withdrawn into himself. In the background, we might notice

that the digital clock reads 12.04.

SLAP! From across the table, two hands smash down on either

side of his tray, knocking his orange juice into his lap.

Conor stands, lap covered in juice, and looks up into the

laughing faces of Anton and Sully, either side of Harry’s

usual eerie stare.

SullY

O’Malley’s wet himself!

Anton flicks some spilled juice onto Conor.

ANTON:

You missed some!

They laugh, but then notice that Harry and Conor are doing

that uncomfortable staring thing again. The laughter dies.

HARRY:

I think I’ve finally figured you

out, O’Malley. After all this time.

Harry steps forward. Conor braces himself.

HARRY (CONT’D)

Here is the very worst thing I can

do to you.

SuLLY

You’re in for it now.

AnTON

Kick his ass.

But Harry just holds out his hand to shake. Surprised, Conor

shakes it.

HarRY

Goodbye, O’Malley. I no longer see

you.

He lets go of Conor’s hand and turns his back to leave. After

a confused beat, Anton and Sully do the same.

Conor watches them go, growing more and more upset, a breeze

tousling his hair...

...as the bullies pass in front of the digital clock, it

ticks over to 12.07.

193.

ANGLE ON:
Conor, as the The Monster now stands behind him,

stretching up to the tall ceiling of the cafeteria. It kneels

down and speaks into his ear.

MonSTER

It is time for the third tale.

Without looking back, Conor starts to walk after Harry. The

Monster matches him, step for step.

MONSTER (CONT’D)

There was once an invisible man,

who had grown tired of being

unseen.

MoNSTER (CONT’D)

It was not that he was actually

invisible. It was just that people

had become used to not seeing him.

ConOR

(to Harry)

Hey!

Conor quickens his step. The Monster keeps up.

Conor catches up to Harry and grabs him by the shoulder,

twisting him around. Harry pretends to not see him, pretend-

blaming a laughing Sully for grabbing him.

MONSTER:

One day, the invisible man couldn’t

stand it anymore. He kept

wondering:
if no one sees you, are

you really there at all?

Conor watches the three bullies walking away again.

CONOR:

(to Monster w/o turning)

What did the invisible man do?

MONSTER:

He called for a monster...

Conor raises his fists. Behind him, the Monster does the

same.

Conor runs after Harry, the Monster following.

ANGLE ON:
Harry, Sully and Anton turn in amusement, but their

faces change to fright. Are they seeing the Monster or just

Conor? Sully and Anton bolt, leaving Harry.

ANGLE ON:
Conor, runs at him, yelling his rage. He raises a

fist. The Monster raises a fist behind him in mirror. They

both swing forward.

194.

123 InT. SCHOOL/HIGH SCHOOL DIRECTRESS'S OFFICE - Later 123

Conor flexes his fists in his lap. They’re bloody and

bruised. MISS KWAN is there, but we stay tight on Conor.

DIRECTRESS (o.S.)

I don’t even know what to say to

you, Conor. You sent him to

hospital. His parents are

threatening to sue.

Conor looks up, briefly.

DIRECTRESS(CONT’D)

But I explained that he’d been

bullying you and that your

circumstances were... special.

Conor winces at the word, looks at his battered fingers.

195.

123A Int. School caFETERIA - day 123A

FLASH:
of eyes of the cafeteria, watching Conor beat

Harry.

DIRECTRESS:

They backed down.

(shouting)

But that’s not the point!

Conor jumps. Still doesn’t look at her. We hear her sigh.

ConOR

It wasn’t me.

DIRECTRESS:

What was that?

Finally glances up to her, very briefly then down again.

CONOR:

It wasn’t me. It was the Monster.

196.

123B Int. SchoOL CAFETERIA - DAY 123B

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