Fight Club Page #4

INT. MEETING ROOM - NIGHT - JACK'S IMAGINATION

CLOSE ON JACK as he CLAMPS his arms around Marla.

JACK:

Marla, you liar, you big tourist. I

need this. Get out.

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Jack, in pajamas, stares at Home Shopping Network on his TV.

JACK (V.O.)

When you have insomnia, you're never

really asleep and you're never really

awake. I hadn't slept in four days...

INT. SMALL PROTESTANT CHURCH - NIGHT

Jack walks in and joins the crowd, looking around. People

are chattering with each other.

JACK (V.O.)

-- But, in here, in everyone, there's

the squint of a five-day headache.

Yet they forced themselves to be

positive. They never said

"parasite;" they said "agent." They

always talked about getting better.

LEADER:

Okay, everyone.

Everyone sits in chairs. Jack catches sight of Marla.

LEADER:

To open tonight's communion, Chloe

would like to say a few words.

Taking the lectern is CHLOE, a pale, sickly girl whose skin

stretches yellowish and tight over her bones. She wears a

head bondage. She clears her throat.

JACK (V.O.)

Ahh, Chloe. Chloe looked the way

Joni Mitchell's skeleton would look

if you made it smile and walk around

a party being extra nice to everyone.

CHLOE:

Well, I'm still here -- but I don't

know for how long. That's as much

certainty as anyone can give me. but

I've got some good news -- I no

longer have any fear of death.

APPLAUSE from around the room.

CHLOE:

But... I am in a pretty lonely place.

No one will have sex with me. I'm so

close to the end and all I want is to

get laid for the last time. I have

pornographic movies in my apartment,

and lubricants and amyl nitrate ...

The LEADER gingerly takes control of the microphone.

LEADER:

Thank you, Chloe. Everyone, let's

thank Chloe.

EVERYONE:

Thank you, Chloe.

INT. SMALL PROTESTANT CHURCH - LATER

LEADER:

Now, you're standing at the entrance

to your cave. You step inside your

cave and you walk. Keep walking.

Jack's face, eyes closed, is motionless.

JACK (V.O.)

If I did have a tumor, I'd name it

Marla. Marla...the little scratch on

the roof of your mouth that would

heal if only you could stop tonguing

it, but you can't.

LEADER:

Now, find your power animal.

INT. CAVE - JACK'S IMAGINATION

Jack finds Marla smoking a cigarette. Marla c*cks her head,

indicating whe wants him to --

MARLA:

Slide.

INT. SMALL PROTESTANT CHURCH - RESUMING

Jack's eyes open and turn to Marla, watching her blow smoke

rings with her eyes closed.

INT. SMALL PROTESTANT CHURCH - LATER

Everyone stands and mills about, pairing-off.

LEADER:

Pick someone special to you tonight.

Jack sees the ghastly spectre of Chloe ambling towards him.

He tries to smile. She smiles with a twisted, dying mouth.

CHLOE:

Hello, Mr. Tayler.

JACK (V.O.)

I never gave my real name at support

groups.

JACK:

Hi, Chloe.

CHLOE:

We've never actually talked.

Chloe's eyes are eerily bright with desperation. Jack, in

a sincere attempt at levity, chokes out:

JACK:

You look good. You ... look ... like

a pirate.

Chloe laughs, a little too much. Jack squeezes out a laugh.

Then he sees Marla, off by herself. Someone heads for her.

JACK:

Excuse me, I have to...

Jack gives a quick nod to Chloe and darts towards Marla.

Chloe watches him go.

STAY ON JACK AND MARLA as Jack CLAMPS his arms around her.

He whispers into her ear.

JACK:

We need to talk.

MARLA:

Sure.

JACK:

I'm on to you. You're a faker. You

aren't dying.

MARLA:

What?

JACK:

Okay, in the Sylvia Plath philosophy

way, we're all dying. But you're not

dying the way Chloe is dying.

LEADER:

Tell the other person how you feel.

JACK:

You're a tourist. I saw you at

melanoma, tuberculosis and testicular

cancer.

MARLA:

And I saw you practicing this...

JACK:

Practicing what?

MARLA:

Telling me off. Is it going as well

as you hoped... ?

(reads his nametag)

"... Mr. Taylor."

JACK:

I'll expose you.

MARLA:

Go ahead. I'll expose you.

LEADER:

Share yourself completely.

Marla puts her head down on Jack's shoulder as if she were

crying. Jack pulls her head back up. She deadpans at him.

JACK:

Why are you doing this?

MARLA:

It's cheaper than a movie, and

there's free coffee.

JACK:

These are my groups. I was here

first. I've been coming for a year.

MARLA:

A year? How'd you manage that?

JACK:

Anyone who might've noticed either

died or recovered and never came back.

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