A Monster Calls Page #18

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GRANDMA:

(not unkind)

Conor, no, not tonight. You’re

going to want to be here.

Conor understands what she means as Grandma sits on the other

side of the bed, taking her daughter’s hand. Conor stands.

CONOR:

I’m going to get something to eat.

Grandma nods and Conor leaves...

205.

129 InT. hoSPITAL CORRIDOR - conTINUOUS 129

...but as we follow him out of the room, he starts walking

down the corridor, then faster, then faster, until he’s

finally RUNNING AS FAST AS HE CAN

206.

130 ExT. hospital entrance conTINUOUS 130

...OUT OF THE HOSPITAL.

207.

131-131AEXT. PAVEMENT/ LONG PAVEMENT - CONTINUOUS 131-131A

Conor keeps on running.

208.

132 EXT. conor’s house driveway - momenTS LATER 132

Evening is coming on. Conor, still running, approaches his

own house. Out of breath, tired, but still going, we follow

him in one continuous shot as he opens his front door and

goes into...

209.

132A InT. conOR’S HOUSE FRONT HALLWAY - conTINUOUS 132A

...where he doesn’t even shut the door behind him and

continues through...

210.

132B Omitted 132B

211.

132C

InT. conOR’S KITCHEN - conTINUOUS 132C

...increasing his pace, he goes to the back door and heads

out into...

212.

132D EXT. conOR’S BACK GARDEN - conTINUOUS 132D

...running now, across the garden, where we can see the

hilltop and yew tree ahead of him. He goes through the back

gate, it opens with a groan of metal, and Conor...

213.

132E ExT. Train Tracks (FX ZONE) - conTINUOUS 132E

...crosses the train tracks...

214.

132F

EXT. HILL GATES - CONTINUOUS 132F

...to a torn opening in the fence on the other side. He ducks

under it and we follow him...

215.

132G EXT. CHURCHYARD hiLLTOP - conTINUOUS 132G

...into the graveyard that stretches down the hill. The yew

tree is up top, but still just a tree. Conor runs furiously

now...

Up the hill, dodging through the tombstones...

The tree getting closer and closer...

ConOR

WAKE UP!

Still in the continuous shot, he reaches the tree and starts

pounding and kicking it.

ConOR (CONT’D)

I said, WAKE UP! I don’t care what

time it is! WAKE UP!

Kicks it again. And again.

And the tree steps out of the way, causing Conor to fall. We

pull up higher and higher, in the Monster’s POV, seeing Conor

on the ground. Continuous shot ends.

MONSTER:

You will do yourself harm if you

keep that up.

Conor gets angrily to his feet. It’s nearly night now.

CONOR:

It didn’t work! You said the yew

tree would make her better, but it

didn’t!

MONSTER:

I said if she could be healed, the

yew tree would do it. It seems she

could not.

Conor attacks the monster again, pounding it with his fists.

He pulls off one of the Monster’s small branches.

CONOR:

Fix her! Make her better!

MoNSTER

Ow!

Conor-

CONOR:

(still attacking)

What’s the use of you if you can’t?

Just stupid stories and getting me

into trouble and everyone treat me

like I’ve got a disease

216.

The Monster kneels down, hands on either side of Conor.

MONSTER:

You were the one who called me,

Conor O’Malley. You were the one

with the answers to these

questions.

CONOR:

If I called you, it was to save

her! It was to heal her!

MONSTER:

I did not come to heal her. I came

to heal you.

Beat, as Conor takes in the impact of this.

CONOR:

Me? I don’t need... My mum’s the

one who...

But the weight of the Monster’s words are too much.

ConOR (CONT’D)

Ahhhhhh!

(quietly)

Help me.

Beat, as the Monster takes in a breath.

MonSTER

It is time... for the fourth tale.

Conor’s eyes widen in horror, but before he can speak, the

world has changed:

217.

133 ExT. the fourth tale nightmare - AFTERNOON - contINUOUS 133

Conor and the Monster are on a dark, barren stretch of

ground. An evil place, in the blackest night. The sounds from

Conor’s nightmare rise again - the blowing wind, the faint

rumblings.

The Monster stands over Conor, but is dangerous-looking and

sinister, the branches from its body are unraveling beyond it

in gnarls, its eyes changed to a merciless blankness.

ConOR

No! Please! Get me out of here!

MonSTER

(scarier than ever)

There will be no more delays. It is

time for you to tell the fourth

tale.

CONOR:

I don’t know any tales! I have to

get back to my Mum!

The Monster looks past Conor.

MONSTER:

But she is already here.

Conor turns to look. Far across the clearing stands his

mother. She is frail and thin, but not bald, dressed in

flowing white cloth. She turns and smiles at him, but so

vulnerable. She’s been the figure in the nightmare all along.

CONOR:

No! Mum! Get out of here!

Mum

I’m fine, darling. There’s nothing

to worry about.

CONOR:

Mum, run! Please, run!

Mum

But there’s nothing to worry!

But there’s a terrible sound, a distant ROARING, as of

something impossibly big.

Mum (CONT’D)

(troubled)

Conor?

OVERHEAD SHOT - high above, we see Conor and the Monster,

distant from Mum.

218.

Behind her, in a large circle she stands on the edge of, the

GROUND BEGINS TO COLLAPSE AWAY, almost like a whirlpool,

whipping everything into it, along with blackness and dust.

ConOR

Mum! MUM!

He starts to run for her. The ground continues to collapse

around her until-

Mum

Conor!

It collapses right BELOW HER, dropping her into the gaping,

swirling hole. She grabs on to the edge-

But can’t hold on-

Until Conor reaches her, grabbing onto her, holding her

there.

Here it is. Conor’s WORST NIGHTMARE. The thing he is most

afraid of in the world. The winds shrieking and howling

around them, swirling into the hole.

CONOR:

NO MUM!!

The nightmare is in full flow. The screaming, the roaring,

the wind, all because he’s holding on to his mother, trying

to prevent her from falling.

Mum

Don’t let go, Conor! Don’t let me

go!

ConOR

(struggling)

I won’t! I promise.

The wind grows worse; the whirlpool effect starts to pull

cars and telephone poles into the hole.

Conor’s Mum starts to slip from Conor’s grasp.

ConOR (CONT’D)

No!

Conor turns to our original Monster, still not moving.

CONOR (CONT’D)

Help me! I can’t hold on to her!

MuM

Conor! I’m slipping!

CONOR:

NO MUM!

219.

But it’s getting too much. She’s too heavy. The Monster

approaches, unraveled and huge and terrifying.

MOnSTER

Here is the fourth tale.

ConOR

Shut up! Help me!

MONSTER:

Here is the truth of Conor

O’Malley.

Conor’s Mum is screaming, slipping.

CONOR:

No! Help me!

She’s pulling away from his hands, from his fingers. He’s

trying, trying-

Mum

Conor!

ConOR

NO! Mum-

But she falls.

The hole takes her and she falls, falls, falls away, her

white dress a light in the darkness. Conor watches her fall-

He turns back to the Monster anguished, the swirling darkness

behind him. THIS IS THE IMAGE HE DREW ON HIS SKETCHPAD.

The blackness and furious winds abate, until there’s only

quiet.

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