Backlight Page #4

---

Well, hello, Claire.

Did you find the place alright?

Yeah!

What's going on, sis?

I haven't heard from you

in over two and a half years

And all of a sudden you

leave me this message

to drive a million miles out

to this god forsaken place.

Is this a mental health test?

Well. Matt,

it may surprise you

But I need your help with one

of my patients.

One of your patients needs my help?

I'm very serious.

I think you may hope

that he's the safest patient.

Well, you're the shrink, not me.

Will you just listen to

what I have to say?

I'm listening.

I have been taking

care of a special patient.

His name is Daniel Doyle. Age 17.

He's an intern in a mental health center

for a year now

You still work at tha nut house?

Yep.

Just got promoted last week at

Vice President of the board.

Wow!

Congrats V.P.!

it just lasted a day though...

What happened?

Differences of opinions you know?

This kid Daniel, for instance,

they wanted to

release him again.

Well, in my opinion...

What is your opnion?

I believe...

he's going to seriously hurt

himself as soon as he gets out.

What do you mean

by seriously hurt himself?

Suicide.

Right...

How do I fit in the picture?

Daniel's girlfriend died

and he's not been able to deal with it.

I think he's going to need

to connect with someone

he believes can really

understand his pain

Someone he can look in the eye

and respect.

And you think that's me?

Yeah, I do.

Will you talk to him. please?

Well, Claire, my girlfriend didn't die.

I know.

But you almost did.

He's such a good kid.

He reminds me of you.

Really?

Well can you tell me why

you made me come all the way outhere?

We will get into that later..

Now, just listen to me carefully.

Ok, go on!

About a year ago, during Spring Break

This kid Daniel and his girlfriend

Jennifer were camping at Lake Mirage.

She went for a swim while Daniel was

taking pictures with a digital camera.

They were both having fun,

when Jennifer had a seizure

and started drowning

She went down really fast.

Daniel, howeve, was quick to react

He jumped into the water,

dived down, grabbed

her carried her to shore

and performed CPR

But unfortunately

she didn't survive.

Now here's Daniel's thought on it.

According to his statement,

he claimed he couldn't cope with losing

her, so he decided to end his life as well.

A week after her funeral he

jumped into the lake and...

guess what?

Well, he didn't die.

I can figure that much.

Exactly. But the actual ordinary thing is

that he claims that he actually drowned...

and woke up again on the lake just as

he was trying to save his girlfriend.

I think you kind of lost me there.

What I mean is, he jumped into the lake,

drowned and woke up trying to save Jennifer.

Isn't jennifer dead at this point?

She is.

But not if you travel back in time.

So, so...

Let me get this straight.

While he's drowning,

he travels back in time

and wakes up at the exact

moment of the lake incident.

Exactly.

As she's drowning.

Ok!

What happens next?

And then he tries to save her but

never succeeds.

So we try to go back again.

And again.

Until he hopes one

day he WILL succeed.

So he's like in a time loop?

Yes.

But there is another

interesting detail.

Really?

What's that?

Climb on top of the first cargo airplane,

and call me when you get there.

Ok....

Go to the back of the airplane.

Look for a small hatch

behind the right wing

Can you see it?

Yeah, I see it.

Open it up and tell me what you find.

It's a digital camera.

With a key on it.

You see that camera?

- Yep

Daniel claims he can only go back in

time if he takes his camera with him.

That same camera.

How does that work?

He takes his own picture with

that camera just before he dies.

And that's what makes

time travel possible.

The kid has a pretty wild imagination.

Tell me about it.

How he end up at your

care at the center?

He was caught trying

to drown himself.

Someone saw it and stopped him.

The incident was reported to his parents

and he was brought to the center.

Consequently the board agreed

he should be interned.

The same boaed that

now thinks he's fine?

Bingo.

Well, there's still one thing that

I still don't understand, Claire

-What is it?

Did you have me come all the way out

here just to pick up the kid's camera?

Or is there something

else going on?

Because you're starting

to freak me out.

Are you going to tell me

what's REALLY going on here?

I'm in trouble, Matt.

You don't say!

Let me guess.

Your opinion was THAT strong.

I guess.

It runs in the family.

Well, spill it, Claire.

What exactly did you do?

Before Daniel was released from the center,

I took him out there.

Please don't tell me

you kidnapped the kid.

I care about him, Matt.

I had to do something.

Well, where is he?

See that cargo airplane

behind ?

Yeah.

He is in there.

The kid is in the aircraft?

Where the hell are YOU?

I was hiding with him there.

But the cops got him there,

now I'm home arrested.

Are you out of your mind?

What was I supposed to do?

The moment he wants, he'll go to

the first body of water and die.

Do you know what you've done?

Not only are you going

to lose your license,

but they're gonna put

you away forever.

it doesn't matter,

as long as it saves his life.

Please, Matt.

He has no one else.

Claire...I uh...

I can't be involved in this.

I got enough problems of my own.

I just want you to talk to him,

that's all.

I'm sorry, Claire.

But I can't.

Not too long ago, you

were in this kid's shoes.

Did you forget that already?

I nearly lost my brother.

Right under my nose.

Because I was too busy dealing

with my own problems.

The sign were all around me.

But I just decided

to ignore them.

And I do regret that very much.

So if there's anything I can

do to help someone else

who's going through that

same kind of emotional pain

that makes you wish

you could end it all,

... I will.

How long have you kept the

camera from the kid?

Since day One.

When it was brought into the center.

Well, allright.

If the kid thinks this camera is

a time machine,

I think I want to know how it works.

You in here, Daniel?

Daniel?

Is that you, Daniel?

Daniel?

Who are you?

I'm matt.

Claire's brother.

Welcome aboard to Flight Nowhere, Matt.

Never really enjoyed flying myself.

I like to keep my feet to the ground.

if you know what I mean.

Don't tell me.

You're a shrink, too.

No...No...Definately not.

I'm not a doctor of any kind.

Still, Claire believes that I can help you

God knows why.

I helped a dog once.

But I'm not a vet either.

As a matter of fact,

I'm unempleyed at the moment.

Basically, I'm just a sucker.

A lot like you, no offense.

You do know she's just

trying to help you, right?

It's not working.

Yeah, I can see that.

heck....I don't blame you at ever

being so mad at the world...

It's a tough thing to lose your

girlfriend like that

I know how that can

mess with your head.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes