Insomnia Page #15

RACHEL:

No. He didn't say what his name was.

Only that you were expecting him.

WILL:

I'm not expecting anyone.

RACHEL:

That's not what he thinks.

WILL:

What did he look like?

Rachel thinks for a second. Leaning against the clock.

RACHEL:

Short. Dark hair. Not that memorable.

Will nods, rubs his forehead. Suddenly has a pounding

headache. Turns for the stairs. Hesitates.

WILL:

I need to borrow something.

INT. WILL'S ROOM - NIGHT

CLOSE ON a nail. One THWACK of a hammer and it bites into

the wall. PULL BACK to reveal Will nailing the corner of a

blanket to one side of the window. An ad hoc curtain.

He finishes that side. Starts to stretch the blanket across

the window. Hesitates. Looks outside. To the left. To the

right. To see if anybody's out there. If anybody's

watching. Sees instead...

A LONE TUGBOAT chugging across the harbor. Pulling a huge

freighter. Will squeezes his eyes shut. Opens them again.

Pulls the blanket fully across the window.

INT. WILL'S ROOM - 1:05 A.M.

The FILES spread across the floor. Their edges buckled from

the rain. Dozens of pictures of Kay Connell. School

records. Private letters. Health files. Coroner's report.

Will. Pacing. Back and forth. Thinking. Over that same

SQUEAKY floorboard. The clock reads: 1:05.

INT. WILL'S ROOM - 2:20 A.M.

Will lying in bed. On top of the blanket. Wide awake.

Staring at the ADJOINING DOOR. Into Hap's room.

EXT. PIONEER LODGE - NIGHTMUTE - LATE NIGHT

Will, in a sweatshirt and coat, heads down the front steps of

the Pioneer Lodge. Jams his hands in his pockets. The walk

of an insomniac.

EXT. MAINSTREET - NIGHTMUTE - LATE NIGHT

Will walking down main street. In the middle of the road.

The dead of night. No cars. The sky a blinding white.

Hears some rowdy NOISE coming from a corner bar, beer lights

flickering. A WOMAN rides by on a bicycle. Birds SINGING.

Not day. Not night. Stuck somewhere in between. Like a

dream.

Turns down a side street. Passing more stores. Guns and

Ammo. Patty's Hair and Nails. General Store. Comes upon

THE ALLEY:

where he vomited the day before. Stops. Sees the DEAD DOG,

still down at the end. Half obscured by the dumpster.

Will wavers, pale. Suddenly...

A HOMELESS MAN emerges from the shadows. Big. Wild-eyed.

Awakened from his sleep. Will, quickly backtracks to the

sidewalk. Spooked.

JUST THEN the CRACK! of bat hitting ball. He turns. In the

distance. Nightmute Elementary School.

EXT. NIGHTMUTE ELEMENTARY - LATE NIGHT

A Little League game in full swing. The uniforms, a little

faded. The diamond, a little unkempt. A smattering of

SPECTATORS. Mostly dads with six-packs.

Will wanders over to the fence. Spots Ellie sitting alone on

the bottom bleacher.

CUT TO:

POV OF SOMEONE:

WATCHING HIM. From afar. The SOUNDS of the game, delayed a

few seconds. Watches as Will crosses to the bleachers...

CUT BACK TO:

...and sits down next to Ellie. She turns, surprised.

ELLIE (cont'd)

Detective Dormer! What are you doing

here?

(looks at watch)

It's two-thirty in the morning.

Shouldn't you be asleep?

Will glances out at the game.

WILL:

I could say the same thing about you.

ELLIE:

Oh. We always have play-offs in the

middle of the night. It's the best time.

WILL:

Who's playing?

ELLIE:

The Puffins and the Hawks. We're in

extra innings. The Hawks have a really

good line-up this year.

She sips on a take-out coke. Looks back at the game. A

plump, redheaded GIRL comes up to bat. Blows a bubble.

ELLIE:

That's my sister.

Will looks over just in time to see the girl swing and miss

by a mile. Ellie cups her hands around her mouth.

ELLIE (cont'd)

(calling out)

That's okay, Lib!

(to Will)

Usually she's better.

WILL:

She your only sibling?

ELLIE:

(nods)

Twelve years younger.

Libby takes another swing. Connects with the ball. Drops

the bat and runs to first. Ellie gives a sharp WHISTLE.

ELLIE (cont'd)

What about you? You have any siblings?

WILL:

No.

(rubs his eyes)

Well. I had a brother. He died when I

was eleven.

Ellie, sits up...

ELLIE:

Oh, I shouldn't have...

WILL:

It's okay. Happened a long time ago. He

was killed in a fire. In New Mexico.

ELLIE:

That must have been awful for you.

Will leans back. Stretching his legs. Remembering.

WILL:

Not really.

(slight smile)

I remember I was more embarrassed that he

had died. Embarrassed that it made me

different. So I didn't tell the other kids

at school what had happened. They'd ask

me where he was, where he'd gone. And I'd

make up stories. He was visiting an aunt up

north, he'd broken his leg, he was in a

Swiss boarding school. Stuff like that.

(shakes his head)

Nice kid, huh? Just kept making up more

and more lies...

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