Bird Box Page #15

MALORIE:

You sure?

(off her look)

FELIX!

EDGAR (O.S.)

It’s comin’ out.

Malorie whips around to see EDGAR at the entry.

88.

He stares at the two women, clutching a thermos in one hand.

The other shakes as if from Parkinson’s. And his fingertips

are fully blackened from using charcoal sticks.

EDGAR (CONT’D)

Only one room with enough space for

you to do it. The attic.

MALORIE:

The attic? That’s your room.

Edgar keeps talking like it’s a done deal. Donald arrives in

time to hear Edgar’s speech:

EDGAR:

We used a midwife for our two kids.

You’re gonna need lots of water.

Sponges. Towels. Surgical tools

would help but I doubt you got

those, so you can cut the cord with

a pair of scissors an’ a coupla

binder clamps.

Malorie nods, feeling more uneasy by the moment.

MALORIE:

Okay. Thanks.

EDGAR:

And a belt.

OLYMPIA:

A belt?

EDGAR:

Give you something to bite down on.

So you don’t scream.

(leans in)

There’s gonna be a lot of blood.

Felix enters from the kitchen with a bowl of dry Choco-Burst.

FELIX:

That right there? Is why everyone

calls you “creepy guy.”

Malorie puts the phone down and stands, now a live-wire of

nervous energy.

MALORIE:

We can’t wait for them to get back.

89.

INT. DOWNSTAIRS BATHROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Felix barges in, a man on a mission. Trying not to freak out.

He grabs the bath towel hanging over the shower pole then

puts it back, frustrated-

FELIX:

Wet.

He digs through cabinets and finds a dry wash cloth.

FELIX (CONT’D)

Too small.

Upstairs, Olympia MOANS in pain. Felix looks up, nervous.

He decides to grab the floor towel.

INT. UPSTAIRS HALL

Malorie and Donald heft Olympia up the stairs to the attic.

She may be petite, but with the baby Olympia isn’t an easy

carry. Donald tries being positive for once:

DONALD:

Doing great, just one more flight.

INT. ATTIC ROOM

Donald and Malorie bring Olympia to the hardwood floor here,

straining in one last heave to set her down gently.

FLUID SPLASHES around Malorie’s feet. Her water broke.

Her eyes go wide.

Donald notices. Realizes.

DONALD:

Oh sh*t. You too?

MALORIE:

But I’m not due for three weeks!

Far downstairs, a door SLAMS shut.

INT. LIVING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Felix runs in carrying the floor towel and a pillow.

Gary stumbles in from the back of the house, wheezing.

Bleeding from his chin.

90.

FELIX:

Just in time!

(beat)

Where’s everyone else?

Gary doesn’t answer right away. Tries to catch his breath.

FELIX (CONT’D)

Gary...

Donald hurries downstairs, grinding to a halt by Felix when

he notices Gary on the floor.

Gary looks up and shakes his head.

GARY:

There was... was one in the...

tunnels. We got separated, and...

god, I just ran.

Gary doesn’t want to make eye contact.

DONALD:

This just keeps getting better.

(to Gary)

Stay downstairs. You hear me?

Gary nods. Overhead: Olympia’s CRY of pain.

EXT. GREG’S HOUSE - DAY

Angle on the third floor and the gray sky beyond.

Olympia’s WAIL is joined by a second one: MALORIE.

INT. KITCHEN - DAY

Felix frantically fills a container with water at the sink-Donald

enters and starts pulling towels from a hanging rack-

FELIX:

Both of them?

DONALD:

This is what you’d call a stress-

induced birth.

FELIX:

Do they know about Tom?

91.

DONALD:

No. And they aren’t going to. Not

until we get through this.

Donald moves for the stairs with the towels-

INT. ATTIC ROOM

Olympia and Malorie lie on their backs on the floor, atop

mattresses covered with beach towels. Both are sweaty, trying

to control their breathing. A sheet covers Olympia’s lap, and

a throw covers Malorie’s.

It’s raining, outside. Lightly. The rain tap-dances on the

skylights above. There isn’t enough light to get a good sense

of the walls in the room.

A lantern sits on a rolling table near the women. Curled up

by the lantern:
TWO LEATHER BELTS, still with their Target

price tags stuck to the buckles.

Malorie MOANS. And looks to Olympia.

Olympia looks back. Scared.

OLYMPIA:

It’s happening. It’s really

happening.

MALORIE:

Tom? Tom!

Donald arrives and sets the towels by a set of tools:

A pair of scissors. A knife. Metal binder clips.

DONALD:

Tom’s not here yet, but you’re

doing great. Both of you. Okay?

OLYMPIA:

What do I do, tell me what to do-

DONALD:

Keep breathing. And push. With

every breath.

OLYMPIA:

Are you sure?

He considers something. Tries to find the appropriate words:

92.

DONALD:

Do you, uh, want me to check, under

the sheet, and see-

OLYMPIA:

(interrupting)

No no!

(breath)

Okay yes, okay!

Donald looks. Olympia squeezes her eyes shut.

DONALD:

I can see the head, keep pushing!

Felix enters, drops off the container of water. But it’s tall

and narrow, no good for soaking towels or washing newborns.

FELIX:

Here.

DONALD:

That isn’t the right-- never mind,

stay with them, I’ll go get it.

Donald rushes down the stairs, leaving Felix awkward and

nervous with the two women.

Malorie looks away, at the other wall...

And sees Edgar standing just beyond the overhead light.

INT. KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER

Donald returns from upstairs and makes a bee-line for the

large, shallow Tupperware container.

The chaos and muffled sounds of footsteps in the attic can

still be heard down here.

DONALD:

This is crazy. You don’t bring kids

into this world.

The sudden sound of heavy KNOCKING on the back door startles

Donald. He goes to the mud room and looks in...

...to see through the covered glass portion of the door: the

silhouette of a MAN.

THE DOOR HANDLE wiggles. Trying to open.

93.

DONALD (CONT’D)

Who’s there!

TOM (O.S.)

Tom! It’s Tom! Let me in!

Something with the sound of his voice... it’s not like we’ve

heard Tom before. Ragged. Raspy.

Donald starts for the door, but stops. Just like he did in

front of Greg’s bedroom door.

DONALD:

How do I know you’re not crazy?

TOM (O.S.)

Because you’re an a**hole!

Beat. Donald nods -- yeah, that’s Tom. He reaches up to a

shelf over the water-well whiteboard-

And grabs a SHOTGUN.

MOMENTS LATER:

LOW ANGLE as Tom collapses on the floor of the mud room. Cuts

and bruises mar his face. His coat is peppered with pieces of

foliage as if he’s run through the woods. His blindfold

barely covers his eyes. And he’s out of breath.

The shotgun barrel descends into frame by his head.

DONALD (O.S.)

Gary said you were dead.

Tom pulls off his blindfold. His eyes are wild with panic.

TOM:

You let Gary back inside?

The shotgun barrel lifts away...

And now Donald is tense with a new fear.

INT. LIVING ROOM - THAT MOMENT

Gary stands at a corner. His back to the room.

Just standing there.

TOM (O.S.)

(from back of house)

GARY! YOU SON OF A B*TCH!

94.

Gary’s hand reaches out and caresses a curtain.

The budgies in the cage begin CHIRPING wildly.

QUICK POPS:

1) Gary SMILES as he yanks down the curtains in his brother’s

house. There is no Carl. He then opens the door and something

LARGE begins to push through the quilt protecting the

threshold.

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