A Monster Calls Page #20

---

She turns another corner and he grabs his seatbelt. But he

notices something sticking out of his pocket. LILY’S NOTE. He

takes it out and unfolds a comically high number of times.

It’s just three lines:

--“I miss being your friend.”

--“You’re not invisible.”

--“I see you.”

The “I” is underlined a comic number of times, too. It’s

heart-breaking.

ConOR

Grandma-

GrandMA

Don’t. Just don’t.

228.

136A They fly over a bump. Conor puts the note back in his pocket.

136A

ConOR

(quietly)

I’m sorry. About the sitting room.

And everything.

She laughs a thick, sad laugh.

GranDMA

It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t

matter.

ConOR

It doesn’t?

GRANDMA:

Of course it doesn’t.

She starts to really cry, so just lets herself.

229.

136B She turns a corner to a train crossing, the barriers firmly

136B

coming down. No way to drive around it. She stops, hitting

the steering wheel in frustration.

GraNDMA (CONT’D)

(beat)

You know, Conor? You and me? Not

the most natural fit, are we?

ConOR

No. I guess not.

GRANDMA:

I guess not either. But we’re going

to have to learn.

ConoR

I know.

Grandma makes a little sobbing noise.

GRANDMA:

You do know, don’t you? Of course

you do. But you know what,

grandson? We have something in

common.

ConOR

We do?

GRANDMA:

Oh, yes.

We hear the train horn in the distance. Grandma looks at him.

GranDMA (CONT’D)

Your mum. That’s what we have in

common.

Conor doesn’t answer, but he knows what she means. This is

their peace talk, and he agrees to it. He nods.

She reaches forward, grabs his hand, squeezing it tight. The

train blasts past them in a brutal hurry.

It’s a short train, ending quickly. The barriers rise.

GranDMA (CONT’D)

Hang on.

She peels off into the night.

230.

137-137AEXT./Int. hoSPITAL ENTRANCE/ CORRIDOR - nighT - momENTS LATER

137-137A

Grandma and Conor race down the corridor, Grandma in the

lead. They reach his Mum’s hospital room and...

231.

138 InT. hoSPITAL ROOM DOOR - niGHt - conTINUOUS 138

...burst inside, Grandma with a terrible question on her

face. The fight is clearly almost over for his Mum. The room

is lit only by a small light above her bed. The Female Nurse

stands by it, checking an IV.

NuRSE

(to Grandma)

It’s okay. You’re in time.

Grandma makes a cry of relief, covering her mouth with her

hands.

Nurse (CONT’D)

I see you found him.

Grandma goes to the opposite side, sits down and takes her

daughter’s hand, kissing it and rocking back and forth.

The Nurse leaves, acknowledging Conor. Conor stands in the

darkness by the doorway, not knowing what to do.

Mum

(slurring)

Ma?

GranDMA

I’m here, darling. I’m here.

Conor’s here, too.

MUM:

(eyes still closed)

Is he?

Grandma looks at Conor, urging him to say something.

ConOR

I’m here, mum.

Eyes still shut, Conor’s Mum reaches out a hand for him to

take. Just like he held it on the cliff face.

There is movement behind Conor, a familiar shadow appearing.

Somehow the Monster fits in the room.

MonSTER

Here is the end of the tale.

ConOR

(to Monster)

What do I do?

The Monster puts two hands on Conor’s shoulders, gently

pushing him towards his mum’s bed.

Conor looks at the clock as he goes. It reads 11.58. Moments

before 12.07.

232.

ConOR (CONT’D)

12.07. Is that...?

(whispering)

I’m afraid.

MonSTER

Of course you are afraid. It will

be hard. It will be more than hard.

But you will make it through, Conor

O’Malley.

They reach the bed, where his Mum’s hand is still

outstretched. Conor’s eyes begin to water.

ConOR

(whispering, to Monster)

You’ll stay? You’ll stay until...

MonSTER

I will be right here.

The moment is here. Conor takes his mother’s hand.

She opens her eyes, but she sees him there. Really sees him.

Does she even see the Monster behind him?

Conor can see the light reflected in her eyes, where the

“life” is.

MonSTER (CONT’D)

Now all that is left is for you to

speak the simplest truth of all.

And, at last, Conor can finally tell her the real truth.

ConOR

(simply, quietly)

I don’t want you to go.

Mum

(at the end)

I know, my love. I know.

Conor’s tears begin to spill now, in a quiet way.

ConOR

(again)

I don’t want you to go.

And there’s nothing more to say. He leans forward onto her

bed, and slips an arm around her, holding on to her.

The mother closes her eyes finally. We pull back, Conor holds

his mother, the Monster supporting him, his Grandma across

the bed, holding his Mum’s hand.

DissoLVE TO:

233.

139 INT. hoSPITAL ROOM - niGHT - momeNTS LATER 139

..a slow approach towards the clock on the hospital room

wall. As the second hand slowly sweeps from 12.06.40 to

12.06.45, we hear Conor’s earlier question to the Monster.

ConOR (v.O.)

How does the fourth story end?

And this time, we hear the Monster’s response.

MonSTER (V.O.)

It ends with the boy holding on

tight to his mother. And by doing

so, he can finally let her go.

We dissolve gently to black before the second hand’s sweep

reaches 12.07.

Fade TO BLACK.

Then fade up on:

234.

140 inT. grandma’s front HALLWAY - dawn 140

It’s the morning after. Dawn light comes in through the

windows. A clock reads 7am. Conor and Grandma enter, wearing

the same clothes as the night before. They’re spent,

exhausted.

They climb the stairs, together in their grief.

235.

141 INT. grandma’s CORRIDOR/ UPSTAIRS - conTINUOUS 141

Conor heads to the Guest Bedroom but:

GranDMA

No.

He stops. She nods to the loft conversion that’s always been

locked.

GRANDMA (CONT’D)

It’s your room now. I’ve been

making it ready.

She nods him on his way, watching him go to the end of the

corridor, climbing the steep stairs.

He looks back once at her to make sure it’s okay. She smiles

at him, so sadly.

He tries the door. For the first time, it’s unlocked. He

looks to his Grandma for one last check. She nods again and

lets him go.

236.

142 InT. GRANDMA’S lofT room - conTINUOUS 142

It’s a bedroom in the top of the house, complete with slanted

ceiling and big window, letting in a ton of morning light.

Clearly his mother’s. But the projector is there, too, and

the canisters for King Kong.

There is also the CASE OF PENCILS he’d been eyeing in the

shop window, newly purchased by Grandma.

Conor steps inside. Drawings cover the walls, there are

shelves of SKETCHPADS in rows, and at the far end, a DESK,

just like the one in Conor’s room.

On it is Conor’s torn drawing of the nightmare from the

sitting room.

Conor approaches it and picks it up. Underneath is a

SKETCHPAD, an old one. There’s a note on top from his

Grandma. “This belonged to your mum.”

On the cover are the words “Lizzie’S SKETCHPAD, AGE 12 (and a

half).”

Conor opens it. We recognise his mum’s style of art. He turns

the pages past images of trees, birds, friends and then-

Rate this script:3.3 / 10 votes