Room Page #8

At last he remembers that he's meant to be wriggling out.

He writhes, but the rug has tightened in transit.

With an effort, Jack manages to roll over. No better.

The engine quietens as the truck slows. Jack is not sure if

that's his signal and anyway he's still trapped in the rug.

The truck doesn't stop at the stop sign, only slows.

Jack remembers his arm. He forces it above his head, wincing

as the rug scrapes the skin off his elbow. Jack puts all his

misery into movement, thrashing about, kicking, jack-knifing

like a dying fish.

The truck's engine lulls as it makes a rolling stop.

Jack feels the rug slide a little across the flatbed, which

gives him just enough momentum that he bends, with a deep

grunt, and the rug starts to roll open.

He bursts out, on hands and knees: like a birth. Elbow and

lip bloody, face covered in hair, snot and tears.

The world hits Jack: street lamps, wind in his face, shocking

colors of the sunset. Trees and houses looming and then

receding, like a rollercoaster.

His glance falls on the shovel meant for his grave.

Jack's eyes focus on the cab of the truck and what he

realizes must be the back of Old Nick's head, driving.

Old Nick slows at the third stop, and swings right. Jack is

flung headlong, banging his leg on the left of the flatbed.

The truck screeches to a stop, because Old Nick heard the

noise and glimpsed Jack in his rearview mirror.

He flings the driver's door open.

Jack scrabbles over to the opposite side.

Old Nick jumps down and strides around the truck.

Jack leaps down to the tarmac, bloodying his left knee. His

jaw smashes into his right knee. He picks a direction at

random and tears away from the truck, stumbles, keeps going.

A large dog on a long leash, emerges from a yard.

(CONTINUED)

36 CONTINUED:
(2) 36

DOUG(a big man in his forties) and his 2-year-old daughter

CARRIE, both in winter outdoor clothes, follow.

Jack runs into the man, finds himself on the ground with the

dog snarling at him.

DOUG:

Boomer!

He pulls the dog away by the collar.

Old Nick catches up, and scoops Jack up with one arm.

Pinned in the air, Jack lashes out in soundless terror. Old

Nick strides back towards the truck with him.

DOUG (CONT’D)

Excuse me? Hey.

Old Nick puts Jack down but holds his shoulders.

Jack cringes, eyes on the ground.

DOUG (CONT’D)

I'm so sorry. Is your little girl

OK?

OLD NICK:

It's under control.

Doug stares at Jack's bloody knee, elbow, lip.

DOUG:

She been in some kind of accident?

You want me to call someone?

OLD NICK:

I’ll take care of it.

Jack can't speak, but pulls out the note. Old Nick snatches

it out of his hand, scrunching it.

DOUG:

What’s that you got there, honey?

OLD NICK (OVERLAPPING)

Why don't you mind your own

business and I’ll mind mine?

DOUG:

OK, I don't like this.

(CONTINUED)

36 CONTINUED:
(3) 36

(CONTINUED)

36 CONTINUED:
(4) 36

He pulls out his cellphone and dials. Old Nick picks up Jack

again and hurries to his truck.

Doug waits impatiently for the emergency operator.

DOUG:

(shouts after Old Nick)

I've got your plates, mister! K93 Old

Nick drops Jack in the street and breaks into a run.

DOUG(CONT’D)

Hey! Hey!

Jack, lying in a heap, hears the driver's door slam.

Then the engine starts. Jack looks around: the truck is

barrelling towards him. Confused and dizzy, he crawls towards

the sidewalk. The truck roars past: a getaway, not attempted

murder.

Jack watches the truck zoom through the next stop.

He collapses and blinks up at the vast evening sky. After a

beat, Doug, leaning in, interrupts the view. The dog is

there, too.

DOUG (CONT’D)

It’s OK, Honey.

Jack curls himself up in a ball.

37 INT. STREET NEAR OLD NICK'S - DUSK 37

A patrol car pulls up at the scene. Doug leaves the still

curled up Jack and hurries to the car to talk to the emerging

OFFICER GRABOWSKI.

Jack, shuddering with cold notices Carrie staring at him.

He feels his lip, touches the blood, looks at it, tastes.

Then sees an oval on the ground. He picks it up: a leaf.

OFFICER PARKER, a female officer, hunkers down beside him.

OFFICER PARKER:

Hey there, I'm Officer Parker.

What's your name?

There’s something reassuring about her and Jack forces

himself to talk to one of these alien beings - but barely

whispering, and he can't look her in the eye.

(CONTINUED)

37 CONTINUED:
37

JACK:

Jack.

OFFICER PARKER:

Jackie?

JACK:

Jack.

She leans in to hear him better. Jack flinches away.

Officer Grabowski comes closer now, on his walkie-talkie.

OFFICER GRABOWSKI

We have a disturbed female

juvenile, possible domestic -

OFFICER PARKER (OVERLAPPING)

Male.

He does a double-take.

OFFICER GRABOWSKI

Correction, male juvenile.

OFFICER PARKER:

You must be freezing, Jack.

With a jerk of the head, she sends Grabowski to the car.

OFFICER GRABOWSKI

(on the walkie-talkie)

That's negative. White male, six

feet, forties, fifties, beard, red

pick-up, Ford, nineties F150,

maybe, no state partial plate K93.

OFFICER PARKER:

Do you have another name? Jack?

He jumps, not realizing she was talking to him again.

OFFICER PARKER (CONT’D)

Do you know how old you are?

Jack nods. Peeks at her buckle, badge, gun, not face.

OFFICER PARKER (CONT'D)

How many fingers?

JACK:

(nonplussed)

Ten.

(CONTINUED)

37 CONTINUED:
(2) 37

OFFICER PARKER:

(incredulous)

You're ten years old?

JACK:

Ten fingers.

He spreads his two hands. He still can't meet her eye but

he's desperately trying to communicate.

OFFICER PARKER:

No, I meant show me with your

fingers how old you are.

JACK:

I'm five.

He spreads one hand, in case she doesn't get it.

OFFICER PARKER:

Five, great. And your address?

Jack doesn't know what this means, so ignores it. Back with a

blanket, Officer Grabowski addresses Parker.

OFFICER GRABOWSKI

Guess we should get onto Child

Protection?

She makes a 'wait' gesture and wraps the blanket around Jack,

who stiffens.

OFFICER PARKER:

Where do you sleep at night, Jack?

Where do you go to bed?

JACK:

In Wardrobe.

OFFICER GRABOWSKI

In a wardrobe?

OFFICER PARKER:

You have a Mom, Jack?

JACK:

Ma.

OFFICER PARKER:

Is that her real name, Jack?

JACK:

She used to be Joy.

(CONTINUED)

37 CONTINUED:
(3) 37

OFFICER PARKER:

Is there another name, after Joy.

Jack struggles but can’t remember ‘Newsome’.

OFFICER PARKER (CONT’D)

Where's your Mom right now?

Jack suddenly realizes that Old Nick - furious because Jack's

alive and has escaped - might be heading back to hurt her.

JACK:

Room.

OFFICER PARKER:

What room? Where's the room?

JACK:

Not on any map.

Officer Parker's questions come faster as her concern grows.

OFFICER PARKER:

The man with the truck, that your

dad? Ma's boyfriend? You know him?

JACK:

Old Nick.

OFFICER GRABOWSKI

Speak up!

Officer Parker glares at him: he's not helping.

JACK:

(louder)

Old Nick. But that's not his name.

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