A Monster Calls Page #6

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MUM:

I don’t know, is it so hard to

remember I’m a grown woman and can

make those decisions for myself?

GRANDMA:

(shaking her head)

The irony of it. No one wants to be

like their parents, but we all

expect our kids to be exactly like

us.

(almost to herself)

No wonder it’s always so hard.

Mum

(mumbles)

Daddy liked pizza.

This really hurts. Grandma stands, gathering the trays, even

if they aren’t finished.

Mum (CONT’D)

(regretful)

Ma, I’m

67.

Grandma disappears into the kitchen. Mum looks at Conor and

sighs.

68.

33 InT. conor’s hallWAY/CONOR’S BEDROOM - that night 33

Conor stands outside his own bedroom as his grandma hands him

his blankets. Her bag is partially unpacked on his own bed.

ConOR

Just don’t touch anything.

GraNDMA

Trust me, I’ll be doing my very

best not to.

She hands him a last pillow.

GraNDMA (CONT’D)

Our conversation isn’t over, young

man.

She gives him a “to be continued” look and shuts the door.

ConOR

(quietly)

Oh, yes, it is.

Fade to bLACK.

69.

Sounds fade up

Nightmare sounds, wind, roaring screaming, rising again in

crescendo to:

70.

34 InT. conor’S SITTING ROOM - that night 34

Conor sits up, sweating, panting again. The sitting room is

dark. Conor calms himself where he sleeps on the settee.

He looks around the dim, untidy room. We can see plenty of

get well cards on the shelves, plus tumbles of smart

chicklit, his mum’s CD collection (90s rave, Massive Attack,

Blur), some of her drawings.

Conor glances impatiently at the clock display on the DVD

player. It clicks over from 12.06 to 12.07.

A breeze tousles Conor’s hair. He listens for the Monster.

And listens.

And listens.

Nothing. The clock ticks over to 12.08. He sees a pen rolling

across the top of the DVD player. Other things, including his

shoe, start rolling towards the kitchen.

Conor gets to his feet, blanket wrapped around him. He goes

into...

71.

35 Int. conor’S KITCHEN - conTINUOUS 35

...the kitchen. The kitchen roll and a cup from the table are

rolling towards the door outside. It rattles, too. Conor

opens it.

72.

35A INT./EXT. CONOR’S KITCHEN /BACK GARDEN - NIGHT

The Monster is waiting for him.

MoNSTER

What took you so long?

35A

73.

35B ExT. conOR’S BACK GARDEN - continuous 35B

Conor exits into his back garden. The Monster towers over him

again.

MonsteR

It is time for me to tell you the

first tale.

ConOR

(disgusted)

What good does that do me? I don’t

need a story

(looks up to his bedroom)

I need a bus ticket for my grandma.

MONSTER:

(more strongly)

It is time for me to tell you the

first tale-

Conor turns away.

MonSTER (CONT’D)

Where do you think you’re going? I

will be listened to! I have been

alive as long as this land and you

will-

CONOR:

(turns back, angry)

What do you know about anything?

MONSTER:

I know about you, Conor O´Malley.

CONOR:

No, you don’t. If you did, you’d

know I don’t have time to listen to

stupid stories from a stupid tree

that isn’t even real.

MONSTER:

Were the leaves on your floor real?

Were the berries?

CONOR:

Who cares if they were! They were

berries. Ohhh, so scary, save me

from the berries!

MONSTER:

How strange. The words you say tell

me you are scared of the berries

but your actions suggests

otherwise.

74.

CONOR:

You’re as old as the land and

you’ve never heard of sarcasm?

The monster doesn’t know how to answer that.

ConOR (CONT’D)

(giving up)

Never mind... I saw you when I was

talking to my grandma, and I

thought...

MonsteR

You thought I came to topple your

enemies. Slay your dragons.

Conor frowns. This is obviously true.

ConOR

Or at least help me with my

grandmother. But all you want to do

is tell me stupid stories.

MONSTER:

Stories of how I toppled enemies.

Stories of how I slew dragons.

The Monster leans down until its face is close to Conor’s.

MONSTER (CONT’D)

Let me tell you a tale of when I

came walking. Let me tell you of

the end of a wicked queen and how I

made sure she was never seen again.

The Monster looks up to Conor’s bedroom, where grandma

sleeps. Conor follows his gaze.

ConOR

Go on then.

The Monster grins his evil grin. The Monster puts his hands

on the ground. Branches, leaves, twigs start to twine around

Conor. A branch with leaves covers Conor’s eyes.

MONSTER:

What do you see?

CONOR:

Nothing. There are leaves in the

way.

MONSTER:

Use your imagination. What do you

see?

75.

36 BlaCKNESS, conor’s vision - conTINUOUS 36

We cut to blackness, what Conor is seeing. There’s nothing.

Then there’s a small light.

CONOR:

I see a spark.

MONSTER:

Yes? And?

The spark seems reflected on water.

CONOR:

No, it’s water. It’s watercolour.

MONSTER:

Keep looking.

A world starts to appear: the light on the water becomes the

sun reflected on a brook. Pull out to see that - though the

world is an abstract, water-colour-like landscape, we can

recognise the hilltop behind Conor’s house with a younger,

smaller yew tree on it.

ConOR

Whoa.

MonSTER

Whoa, indeed.

We zoom up to...

76.

37 EXT. First Tale Hilltop - DAY 37

...the water-colour hilltop itself, turning to look down at

an empty valley below. All the modern houses and roads are

gone, but there’s a small VILLAGE and a looming CASTLE. The

abstract style remains for the entire tale.

MoNSTER (V.O.)

Long ago, before this was a town

with roads and trains and cars, it

was a kingdom.

ConOR (V.O.)

Here? We don’t even have a Tesco.

We race down the hill, over the village and towards the

Castle, swooping over moats and turrets before finding a

window, rushing through it and...

77.

38 InT. first tale castle hallway - conTINUOUS 38

...down a hallway, passing maids and servants and thebusiness of a castle before stopping in the...

78.

39 InT. first tale throne room - conTINUOUS

...throne room, where a KING sits on a throne.

MoNSTER (V.O.)

It was a happy kingdom, with a wiseking who had won peace for hispeople. But peace had come at aprice.

39

79.

40 Ext. first tale battlefield 1 - day - conTINUOUS

A battlefield of armies fighting.

Monster (v.O.)

The king had lost all three of hissons in battle. To giants.

A FIRST SON of the king is killed by a giant.

40

80.

41 ExT. first tale battlefield 2 - daY - contINUOUS

A different battlefield in a different place.

Monster (v.O.)

To dragons.

A SECOND SON of the king is killed by a dragon.

41

81.

42 ExT. first tale battlefield 3 - day - continuous

A final battlefield, one army fighting another led by aterrible wizard.

Monster (v.O.)

To armies of men led by greatwizards.

The battle commences, hard-fought and chaotic.

42

82.

42A EXT. conor’s baCK GARDEN - conTINUOUS 42A

Conor grabs at the leaves covering his eyes.

Conor

This is all sounding pretty fairy

tale-ish.

MONSTER:

You wouldn’t say that if you heard

the screams of a man killed by a

spear.

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