Meat My Uncle Page #5

I can’t...

JAMES MOTHER:

Okay. Tell me if you want. Are you at least okay? Can you go back to sleep?

I dunno.

JAMES:

Mother tousles James’s hair. He starts to pull away, but stops himself.

MOTHER:

You need your sleep buddy.

JAMES:

Is Uncle Jones coming over

tomorrow?

MOTHER:

No, the day after. Everyone’s

coming from what I hear. I told

you, didn’t I?

James looks down.

JAMES:

I guess I forgot.

Mother hugs James, then pats his pillow. James puts his head down as Mother gets up. Mother leaves, flipping the light off, and closing the door.

32.

32 INT. CAR - NIGHT 32

James sits in the third row of the SUV. He looks at himself in the window, his reflection brightens and dims as they pass under streetlights. He turns to look at the driver. There’s nobody at the wheel. He’s alone in the car as it speeds along the street.

He opens his mouth to speak, but no words come out. James looks around, then down at his buckled seatbelt. He pulls at the latch.

MOTHER:

Don’t unbuckle.

James jerks up at the sound.

JAMES:

When did you get here? What are we

doing?

MOTHER:

Stop being silly. We’ve been here

all along.

Uncle Jones, driving, leers at James in the mirror.

ROAD TRIP!

James recoils.

UNCLE JONES MOTHER

I told you.

Mother looks at him, shaking her head in pity.

ROAD TRIP!

UNCLE JONES:

James puts his hands over his ears and closes his eyes. Someone tugs at his hands.

DIN:

You’re a burden.

James opens his eyes and looks at Din to his left.

What?

JAMES DIN:

You’re a burden to your mother. Everyone says so.

33.

James looks stunned. He looks ahead and sees Jane, John, and Dan hanging over the back of the second row. They’re all smiling and nodding.

JANE:

What he said.

Everyone laughs.

ROAD TRIP!

UNCLE JONES:

Uncle Jones is turned around now, hanging over the front seat and glaring at James.

JAMES:

Who’s driving?

DIN:

Your mother thinks you’re a drag on

his life.

JANE:

What time is it?

Uncle Jones laughs - his gaping mouth hideous - with a sound like a cross between a hyena and a supervillain.

MOTHER:

He’s right, I do. I haven’t been

able to do what I want for a long

time now. I want my life back.

JANE:

Does anyone know the time?

UNCLE JONES:

It’s time for a...ROAD TRIP!

Lightning flashes in the night sky. James feels his seatbelt getting tighter. He tugs at it, but the seatbelt tightens even more.

JANE:

I’m so tired.

MOTHER:

I’m so disappointed. I want my life

back.

DIN:

You’re making your mom sad.

James puts his hands back over his ears.

34.

JAMES:

It’s too much. I’m just a kid. I’m

just a kid. I don’t want...

He screams.

33 INT. JAMES'S BEDROOM - NIGHT 33

James bolts upright. He struggles, tangled, constricted in his blankets. He kicks, making it worse. He tries to get out of bed, but falls in a heap on the floor.

Jane comes in.

JANE:

Well, that looks like it hurt.

James looks up.

It does.

JAMES:

He stands, finally getting free of the blankets.

JANE:

Did you forget where you were?

JAMES:

I had a bad dream.

JANE:

Well maybe you can tell me about it

when we get going. But it’s

breakfast time now Majes.

She turns.

JANE (CONT’D)

C’mon. Before it gets cold.

She leaves, James gazes after her, lovestruck.

Coming to his senses, James heads to the kitchen still in his pajamas.

34 INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS 34

James slides to a stop inside the kitchen door. Mother works at the stove.

Uncle Jonas, sitting at the kitchen table, looks up at him.

35.

UNCLE JONES:

Hey Jim. Heard you took a spill.

JAMES:

It’s uh...never mind. Yeah. I’m

okay.

James looks around the room. Dan, Titus, and Jane are all at the table with Uncle Jonas.

Nails click on the hardwood floor as MISFIT, the black lab, comes running in. Misfit can’t seem to decide who to greet first as he runs around the kitchen, tongue hanging out and tail wagging.

UNCLE JONES:

Ah, there’s the mutt.

He grabs Misfit’s face in both hands and looks him straight in the eye.

UNCLE JONES (CONT’D)

How’s my good boy?

He ruffles Misfit’s ears. Misfit squirms in delight, then breaks away and makes another circuit of the kitchen.

JAMES:

Why is everyone here?

Jane looks at him oddly.

ROAD TRIP!

James tenses.

UNCLE JONES:

UNCLE JONES (CONT’D)

(quietly)

Hey bud. You okay?

JAMES:

Uh, yeah, I...

He’s interrupted by a knock on the door.

C’mon in.

MOTHER:

The door opens and Din enters, setting his backpack and suitcase by the door.

DIN:

Hey everyone.

He looks at James. Hey James.

36.

DIN (CONT’D)

Din sniffles, his allergies acting up.

James looks confused.

DIN (CONT’D)

Didn’t you know I was coming back?

James looks at Mother, who nods at James.

JAMES:

I guess I forgot.

He blushes.

DIN:

Are we leaving soon?

MOTHER:

Yeah. Sit down. Did you have

breakfast?

Din slides into an open chair. Mother sets a glass of orange juice in front of him.

DIN:

I had some cereal, but I’m still

hungry if that’s okay.

MOTHER:

Of course. Didn’t your parents

wanna come in and say hi?

Din shakes his head and takes a drink.

DIN:

They said to say hi, but they’re in

a hurry to look at a couple of

houses for sale.

JAMES:

What? Are you moving?

DIN:

Nah. They just like to look.

Din looks at James.

DIN (CONT’D)

You going dressed like that?

37.

James looks down, realizing he’s still in pajamas. He starts towards the hall.

JAMES:

I gotta go.

Din smiles as James leaves.

35 EXT. DRIVEWAY - LATER 35

The group head out to the SUV, Mother locking the house behind them.

Din carries his suitcase and backpack. He nudges James.

DIN:

Which games did you bring?

James shakes his backpack strap.

JAMES:

All of ‘em. Mom got me a case that

holds all the game chips.

DIN:

Cool. I brought a bunch. I got

three new ones when I got all A’s

on my report card.

JAMES:

Nice. I had to work for mine - you

know, chores and stuff - for like a

month. It was worth it.

They get to the SUV. Uncle Jones stands by the open tailgate.

UNCLE JONES:

Lemme have those bags.

He swings the suitcases into the SUV, but James and Din hang onto their backpacks.

36 INT. SUV - CONTINUOUS 36 James and Din climb into the third row seats.

TITUS:

Hey, you okay.

I’m fi...

JAMES:

38.

He stops when he sees that Titus is looking at Jane, not at him.

JANE:

My dramamine hasn’t kicked in yet.

I’m a bit anxious.

Titus strokes Jane’s arm.

Misfit scrambles in and stands next to James. James sets a blue cushion down next to Misfit and pats it. Misfit sniffs, makes a few turns and settles in for the ride.

Uncle Jones starts the SUV.

UNCLE JONES:

All right everyone. ROAD TRIP!

James shudders and closes his eyes.

37 INT. SUV - LATER 37

James wakes up as the SUV comes to s stop. He glances at Din, engrossed in a game.

JAMES:

Where are we?

He looks out the window at a nice house.

JAMES (CONT’D)

Are we out in the country?

MOTHER:

Yes we are.

UNCLE JONES:

Quick pit stop.

He climbs out and James watches him go towards the house. As he gets to the porch the front door opens and BUSTER (hunched over, very pale) comes out.

JAMES:

Are we getting out?

MOTHER:

No. Uncle Jones has something to do

here and then we’ll go.

JAMES:

What’s he doing?

39.

JANE:

It’s better not to ask. He’ll tell

us if he wants. I mean we live with

him and hardly know about this.

MOTHER:

That’s Buster. Uncle Jones’s

brother.

James watches Uncle Jones and Buster nod at each other. They don’t hug or even shake hands. Buster turns and goes into the house as Uncle Jones walks back to the SUV.

38 INT. SUV - LATER 38

James looks back at Buster’s house - it’s completely transformed into a derelict building - the peeling paint, sagging porch, the front door hanging by a single hinge.

Buster squats on the front porch.

James frowns and looks at his clothes - he’s dressed in his Drakian robes - and then over at Din. Din idly strokes the side panel of the SUV.

DIN:

Don’t worry. We’ll go soon. He just

has to talk with Buster.

JAMES:

Are you talking to me?

Din doesn’t turn, but continues to comfort the SUV.

DIN:

You’ll be fine.

Misfit sits up and puts a paw on James’s leg. James pats his head and Misfit meows. Din looks over.

DIN (CONT’D)

He’s speaking a foreign language.

Din turns back to the side of the SUV.

James looks out the window. Buster is on all fours grinning like a maniac. The front door swings open behind Buster and the house BELCHES, the rancid stench hitting the SUV and making James’s eyes water.

BUSTER:

Whoo. Whoo.

40.

Buster jumps up and attaches himself to the roof of the

porch. He crab walks, upside down, towards the front door. He turns towards the SUV, his eyes bulging behind his thick glasses.

BUSTER (CONT’D)

Hello grandpa!. Heloooooooo!

Buster continues to stare at the SUV.

JAMES:

Can we get going?

He looks towards the driver’s seat - it’s empty. He turns towards Din and sees his seat is empty as well.

Jane, Titus, Mother, Din, and Uncle Jones stand in a semi circle around the SUV. The wind kicks up, shaking the SUV, but they don’t notice.

James pounds on the glass, but it simply turns to a gel, flowing around his clenched fist. He hears the group outside the SUV singing an out of tune song.

More sounds come from the house.

James watches Uncle Jones walk away from the group towards the porch. He and Buster go into the house.

They come out a moment later with another MAN. The three men stand at the top step and wave at the SUV. The Man opens his mouth and light pours out.

JAMES (CONT’D)

That’s my dad.

MOTHER:

Yes, it is.

James looks at the front seat. Mother hangs over the back looking at him.

JAMES:

We have to help him.

MOTHER:

No, no we don’t. He didn’t help us.

He was bitter. He was a biter. He

was a bitter-biter. We can’t help

him.

Suddenly everyone is back in the SUV.

41.

DIN:

We were in the rain on the plain in

Spain.

JANE:

We were in Spain to play on the

plain in the rain.

TITUS:

Jane would play on the plain in the

rain in Spain.

DAN:

Plain Jane ran in the rain in Spain

with a cane.

JAMES:

On a train...

Everyone glares at him.

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