Chasing Sleep Page #10

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The camera turns toward the bathtub, and focuses slowly in on the drain. A few bubbles pop out from under the water and the water starts to drain out. As the camera dollies in on the drain, the last of the murky water disappears.

Ed, now standing in the bathroom, strikes a match and holds it up to the diary until the corner finally catches on fire. He fans out the pages so that it will catch more.

When he can't hold it anymore, he drops it into the bathtub and watches it burn. He watches it until it has burnt itself out, burning into a pile of thick, black ashes.

INT. HALLWAY

Ed looks up at the smoke alarm. He tries to pull it down, but it is out of his reach.

Ed grabs a chair from the living room and stands on it so that he can reach the alarm. He pulls the cover off the alarm and then the battery out and the alarm is finally silenced.

Then he hears voices coming from outside the front door.

He approaches the front door cautiously, then puts his ear up to the door and listens. The voices are muted and whispered, but Ed can still hear what is being said, although it is hard to tell who is talking.

HARVEY:

(O.S.)

No. I won't.

SADIE:

(O.S.)

You are so crazy.

HARVEY:

(O.S.)

I'm crazy? What about you?

SADIE:

(O.S.)

Quiet. He's going to hear you.

HARVEY:

(O.S.)

So what if he hears me. Who is he, anyway?

SADIE:

(O.S.)

God, you are being such an a**hole.

Ed opens the door quickly.

EXT. PORCH - NIGHT

Sadie and Harvey freeze like caught children.

HARVEY, 19, looks younger than his is; his facial hair isn't capable yet of filling out his meager goatee. He seems hurt, like a spoiled child who hasn't gotten his way.

ED:

What's going on?

SADIE:

Christ. I'm so sorry.

HARVEY:

Who's this? Is this him?

SADIE:

Will you shut up?

HARVEY:

He's so old.

ED:

Excuse me?

SADIE:

Can we just go inside? Please?

Ed lets Sadie inside.

HARVEY:

So that's it? You're going with him now?

SADIE:

You really don't understand anything.

HARVEY:

You said you loved me.

SADIE:

Jesus. Would you shut up? You are so embarrassing.

HARVEY:

Embarrassing? I'll tell you what's embarrassing. You with this f***ing geriatric old man. That's embarrassing.

ED:

You little sh*t.

Ed makes a move toward Harvey, but Harvey backs away quickly.

HARVEY:

Don't touch me!

SADIE:

Let's just go in, OK? He'll leave.

HARVEY:

User.

SADIE:

Stalker. Psycho.

HARVEY:

Slut.

Sadie slams the door on him.

INT. LIVING ROOM

Sadie stands staring at the floor.

SADIE:

I can't believe that. You know, he followed me here.

ED:

He followed you?

SADIE:

Yeah. Do you believe it? Oh my God. What happened to you?

ED:

Somebody hit me.

SADIE:

Are you alright?

ED:

I'm fine.

SADIE:

Who hit you?

ED:

I really don't want to get into it.

SADIE:

I nearly had a heart attack when the police called me.

ED:

What did they ask you?

SADIE:

Just about me being here. About what happened.

ED:

But nothing happened.

SADIE:

That's what I told them.

ED:

They found your sweater. It has blood all over it.

SADIE:

You're kidding.

ED:

You left it under the bed.

SADIE:

Oh, yeah. Damn. I don't know why I do things like that.

ED:

What if my wife had found it?

SADIE:

Oh. Is she here?

ED:

No. Look, Sadie. I don't want you to get the wrong idea.

SADIE:

Don't be mad. It's just that I worry too much. You didn't come to class again. And you said you would. I started getting all these ideas. I called you, but nobody answered. I meant to bring your wife's sweater back, but I forgot it.

ED:

Actually, I'm glad you're here. Can you do me a favor?

SADIE:

Sure. Anything.

ED:

I have to get a prescription filled.

SADIE:

No problem.

Ed finds the prescription on his desk.

ED:

I'd go myself, but I'm expecting a phone call.

SADIE:

Sure.

He hands her the prescription.

ED:

There's a twenty-four pharmacy on Market.

SADIE:

I know the one. I go there all the time. It's like my second home.

ED:

I'll give you my credit card.

Ed finds his wallet and hands her the card.

SADIE:

I'll be back in a minute.

ED:

Thank you.

Sadie skips out the door and Ed shuts it behind her.

INT. BATHROOM

Ed turns on the shower, washing the ashes down the drain.

After he's watched them go down, he takes a sponge and cleans off the burnt mark in the tub as best he can. He turns the shower on, rinsing it out.

He turns the shower off and hears the phone is ringing.

INT. LIVING ROOM

Ed picks up the phone.

DERM:

Mr Saxon? Detective Derm.

ED:

Yes, hi.

DERM:

I wanted to let you know that we've taken Mr Simian into custody.

ED:

I understand.

DERM:

We found him at his place of work.

ED:

At the school?

DERM:

Yes. We arrested him there. He'll come up for arraignment tomorrow morning and then, as far as I can tell, he'll probably be released on his own recognizance.

ED:

I see.

DERM:

It's just standard procedure, but I thought I'd keep you informed.

ED:

Yes. Thank you. Did he say anything about Eve?

DERM:

Try to rest, Mr Saxon. We have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow.

ED:

I will. Thank you.

DERM:

Good night.

Ed hangs up the phone.

Then he hears some sounds coming from Eve's room.

INT. EVE'S ROOM

Ed takes a few steps into Eve's room. He traces the noises to the window and looks out at the neighbor's house.

The light is on in the neighbor's window, and there are some vague shadows moving around on the closed curtain. As the noises get louder, it soon becomes clear that the neighbors are having sex.

Ed peers out at the light in the window, listening to the woman's increasing moans. The woman seems to be in some sort of painful, orgasmic delight. In other words, it mostly sounds like she is having a good time, but there should be a growing suspicion that not all is right.

WOMAN:

(O.S.)

Oh. Oh. Oh! Oh! OH! OH! NO! NO! NO!

Ed backs slowly away from the window. He hears someone knocking on the front door.

INT. LIVING ROOM

Ed opens the door and Sadie comes in holding a colorful paper bag.

ED:

Thank you.

Ed takes the bag from Sadie and goes into the kitchen.

INT. KITCHEN

Sadie follows him in.

Ed opens the pills quickly and swallows three of them with a glass of water.

SADIE:

Those pills cost a lot. They must be strong.

ED:

They're sleeping pills. I've been having trouble sleeping.

SADIE:

You must have anxiety. I can never get to sleep when I'm anxious.

ED:

I am anxious. Yes.

Sadie takes some other stuff out of the bag. One of the items is an individually wrapped Skin-EE( fat-free cookie, chocolate, chocolate chip.

SADIE:

I got you some peroxide and stuff. And a cookie. I haven't eaten today.

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