Chasing Sleep Page #14

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GEOFFREY:

It is possible that you did fall asleep, that you dreamed the phone call. I have to say that I was surprised when you said you hadn't slept. Those pills are very effective.

ED:

The pills. Yes. Maybe.

GEOFFREY:

Still, this is better, isn't it? I mean, now there's still a chance. Your wife could still be...There's still hope.

ED:

Yes. Hope. But why is he coming over here?

GEOFFREY:

He said he had some questions to ask you.

ED:

What questions?

GEOFFREY:

He didn't say.

ED:

If he had some questions to ask me, he could have asked me on the phone.

GEOFFREY:

Calm down, Mr Saxon.

ED:

Why did you turn away from me when you were talking to him? What did you say?

GEOFFREY:

I said you were very tired and anxious and that you seemed to be under a great deal of stress.

ED:

You're lying.

GEOFFREY:

I have no reason to lie.

ED:

Don't you?

GEOFFREY:

No. Why do you think I'm lying?

ED:

Because you're scared.

Geoffrey does look scared. He has quickly packed up his briefcase.

GEOFFREY:

Mr Saxon. Please. I understand you're under a lot of stress.

ED:

You don't understand anything.

GEOFFREY:

I came here to help you.

ED:

Then help me. Please.

GEOFFREY:

I've done all I can now. I'm sorry. I can't do any more.

ED:

But, you'll come to see me again, won't you?

GEOFFREY:

No. I don't think I will.

Geoffrey leaves. Ed shuts the door.

The phone rings.

Ed picks it up.

ED:

Hello?

GEORGE:

Is this Ed?

ED:

George.

GEORGE:

What did you do to Eve?

ED:

I didn't do anything.

GEORGE:

I know you did. I saw her before she left work. We met in the parking lot, like we always did. She told me she was leaving you. She was going to tell you when she got home.

ED:

You don't know anything about it.

GEORGE:

Yes, I do. I know you. Eve talks about you. She tell me things.

ED:

What things?

GEORGE:

I know about the fights you have.

ED:

She's my wife. We fight sometimes.

GEORGE:

That's bullshit. I know what kind of a son of b*tch you can be. She's told me.

ED:

What don't you tell it to the police?

GEORGE:

I did.

ED:

You think she was some sort of angel? She was cheating on me.

GEORGE:

I love her. I loved her.

Ed listens to George break down.

ED:

I'm sorry.

There is a long pause.

GEORGE:

It's not enough.

George hangs up.

INT. BATHROOM

The bathroom is completely clean. There is no sign of any of the activity from before. Ed finds the bottle of prescription sleeping pills. It is empty. He takes a couple of Midol and swallows them dry.

INT. LIVING ROOM

Ed sits down at his desk. He looks over the papers on his desk. Sadie's is on top. He looks it over.

The phone rings and he picks it up.

ED:

Hello?

SADIE:

Hello.

ED:

Sadie.

SADIE:

I wanted to apologize.

ED:

No. Don't apologize. It was me.

SADIE:

I shouldn't have left like that. I don't know what came over me.

ED:

It was understandable, under the circumstances.

SADIE:

I really wanted you to like me.

ED:

I wonder if you'll still feel the same way when you find out what kind of person I really am.

SADIE:

I'll still keep your poem on my wall.

ED:

Yes.

SADIE:

I think it's a beautiful poem. I really do. Are you still there?

ED:

Yes.

SADIE:

I wish things had turned out better.

She hangs up. Ed stays on the phone, listening until the dial tone clicks back in.

Then Ed hears a car pull up outside. He follows some quiet footsteps as they walk up to the front door.

He sees the door knob turn quietly in the door. The door is locked.

Ed approaches the door slowly, but suddenly, there is a crash against it. Someone is trying to knock the door down.

The door is strong, and doesn't open, but the wall around it shakes.

After a few seconds, there is another crash against the door. This time the wall shakes so much that Eve's picture, which hangs by the door, almost falls off its nail.

Ed looks out of the window. The window is positioned facing the street, but not the porch, so he cannot see who it is, but he can see a car parked out front, with the door still open. Inside the car, there is a softball glove lying on the passenger seat, along with something that George Simian was wearing when we last saw him.

George crashes against the door again. This time Eve's picture falls off the wall. It hits the ground and smashes, spreading broken glass around her picture.

The door is starting to loosen around the lock and jamb.

INT. HALLWAY

Ed backs into the hallway. As he passes the bathroom, he can hear the gurgling sounds from the plumbing starting up again.

INT. KITCHEN

Ed backs into the kitchen. He searches around, quickly finding the kitchen knife. He grabs it out of the dish rack and starts walking toward the front door.

INT. HALLWAY

There's another bang on the door. Ed passes slowly through the hallway, watching the door, holding the knife in front of him.

The gurgling sounds in the bathroom are deep and resonant, echoing out of the drain, around the bathroom and into the hallway.

There is another hard crash against the door, which breaks the jamb. The door is only being held on by the splinters around the lock and George starts kicking the door with his foot.

Ed backs into the basement door. He opens it and goes into the-

INT. BASEMENT

He hurries down the stairs into the darkness of the basement. The pipes surround Ed with hysterical, thick, watery sounds. There are metallic creaks and strains which reverberate around the walls of the basement as the pipes seem to expand and contract.

A couple of inches of dark, dirty water have collected on the floor and Ed's feet get wet as he steps off the last stair.

Ed finds a place to hide in the shadows behind some boxes. He stares up, as he hears the door breaking open upstairs and someone walking into the living room.

With his eyes, he follows the footsteps as they search the apartment.

Ed has hidden under a large pipe, which is dripping drops of dirty water onto his face. In the darkness of the basement, the color of the water is unclear, but as he wipes some onto his fingers, he can see it is murky and dark.

The basement door opens slowly, and from the light upstairs, Ed can see the silhouette of George Simian standing with a softball bat.

Ed grips onto his knife and watches as George comes down the stairs, step by step. The water keeps dripping on the top of Ed's head, running down the side of his face, but he holds still.

Ed watches George come down the stairs.

George reaches the bottom and steps into the shallow water. He peers cautiously into the shadows. He starts walking toward Ed.

Ed withdraws as much as he can into his corner until he is in complete darkness.

He watches George approaching him and he slowly raises his knife.

George raises his softball bat. He takes a few more steps up to Ed, but then steps blindly past him and into a deep, dark shadow.

Ed watches him disappear into the shadow and then, makes his move. He rushes into the shadow with his knife raised and both he and George are engulfed in darkness.

After a few seconds, Ed emerges from the shadow. He drops the knife into the water at his feet. As he does, blood runs out of the shadow, mixing with the water in the basement floor.

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