Stitched with Love

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1. EXT. O'DONNELL FAMILY HOME - DAY

SEAN O'DONNELL (45) is sitting next to sick AMELIA O'DONNELL (43) on a double bed. Their is a quite knock on the door. A priest walks in looking solemn. He nods to Sean.

Priest

It’s time

Sean kisses Amelia on the forehead and leaves. Sean walks out into the hallway and looks to their two daughters VICKY (13) and VERONICA (17). Veronica is holding Vicky, both crying.     

The priest comes out and declares Amelia dead. The camera zooms in on Sean's face which is devastated but not crying. He looks down.

Cut to:

Sean looks up and he and his daughters are at the round dinner table. There is complete silence except for the noise of cutlery scraping against plates.

Veronica

Where'd they take her?

Veronica starts crying into her food

Sean

Morgue

Veronica

Dad, she's in a better place

Sean drops his knife and fork, pushes back is chair and storms into his office, leaving Veronica sobbing and Vicky staring after him.

INT. SEANS OFFICE - NIGHT

Sean is sitting at his dim lit desk in a dark room that is covered in shelves and shelves of taxidermized animals. There is another door in the back of his office that is secured with a lock

He is working on stuffing a squirrel. He is shoving straw wrapped in string into the squirrel's dissected body. He drops the animal and looks to the door behind him, thinking. He puts the animal in a freezer, picks up a tool box and goes to open the locked door.

He fiddles with the lock until it pops open. He opens the door and enters the room.

INT. KITCHEN - MORNING

Vicky and Veronica walk into the kitchen, ready for school. Sean is sitting at the table eating a plate of pancakes and reading the paper.

Sean (perky)

Morning girls

VICky (confused)

Morning

Veronica and Vicky are putting on their jackets and are a bit taken aback by Sean's happy tone of voice. 

Sean

Sit down I made pancakes

Veroncia

Um no thanks, they look lovely but we should really get going

Just as Sean was about to protest the doorbell rings.

Sean walks to the door and looks through the peep hole.

Sean

Ah, Derry

Sean unlocks the multiple sets of locks on the door before welcoming his first client of the day in, Derry.

Derry has a box in his hands and has red rimmed eyes from crying.

Derry

Thanks so much for this last minute appointment, I know you and your family are grieving, oh hey girls, but I just couldn't b-bear the thought of him in that freezer anymore an-

Sean

Hey Derry your fine, I had an open slot today anyway and plus me and the girls are getting on fine, aren't we?

Sean looks from Derry to the girls waiting for them to agree with him.

Victoria

Am?

There is dead silence in the room for a beat and Derry is in the middle looking very awkward

Sean

Anyway, come on let's fix...

Derry

Sir Reginald

Sean

Let's fix Sir Reginald and make him good as new. I'll talk prices with you too...

Sean leads Derry into his office with a hand to his back while talking. He shuts the door and we hear it lock.

Vicky and Veronica pick up their school bags and head out the door until Vicky pauses and stares at his office door.

Vicky

Why is he acting so... ok

Veronica

I don't know... I guess people grieve in different ways. He did the same thing when Nana and Grandad died....he just blocked it out. Come on.

Vicky and Veronica walk out the door.

Ext. front door - day

Veronica and Vicky are about to open the door when Sean opens it for them. The girls are shocked by Sean's huge grin.

Sean (excited)

Welcome home, wait wait before you come in I have a surprise for you

Sean is blocking the girl's view of the kitchen

Veronica

Da-

When Sean moves we see dead Amelia sitting on the kitchen chair, taxidermied. Amelia's body is very ridged as if she's a Barbie doll. She's pure white and her eyes seem to follow you around the room. 

We hear a bone chilling scream from Vicky and  see Veronica cover her mouth in shock. Sean walks over to Amelia and puts his hand on her chair. He turns Amelia's face to look up at him and touches her chin with his knuckle. He looks from Amelia to the girls and says...

Sean

Things are ok again. We're all together.

Int. dinner table - evening

Sean has his hand on top of Amelia's on the table. He's chocking down his dinner as if it's his last and is talking to Amelia.

Sean

You know, I was thinking about going on a little road trip in a couple of days-

Sean is acting as if Amelia is talking back to him

Sean

No, no I've fixed the car- Mmm maybe Monday. Tuesday? What do ye think? Mom's vote is for Tuesday.

Veronica and Vicky haven't touched their food and are staring at Amelia.

Sean

Well?

Veronica 

Dad this so wrong. She's...she's dead. She should be in the morgue like you told us, not... not at our dinner table.

Veronica is tearing up and is saying this is a strong whisper.

Sean

Veronica I don't know if you're feeling well because your mother is not dead, she is very much alive and is quite frankly, getting very mad at you for not eating your dinner. Aren't you-

Sean has paused his eating and is getting impatient with his 'ungrateful' daughters.

Veronica

Dad stop. This is disguising, this is inhumane-

When Veronica get's closer to her mom she stops with realization.

Veronica

You.....you stuffed her. You stuffed her like one of your animals. You-

Sean

I did no such thing. Your mind goes to sick places Veronica, very sick places. Now sit down your making your mother upset.

Sean wipes his face with his napkin and claps his hands together. He walks over to the radio on the fire mantle piece and looks for a station. A waltz comes on.

sean

Well my darling, shall we?

Sean puts Amelia's legs into a standing position and picks her up. He holds her to his chest and buriers his face in her neck. He sways with her.

Veronica and Vicky just stare at the two. Vicky runs to the nearby toilet and vomit's.

Int. hallway - night

Veronica and Vicky are heading into their bedroom.

Sean

Vicky, a word please.

Sean is at the end of the hallway. Veronica shakes her head at Vicky.

Vicky (whisper)

I'll try and talk to him

Vicky walks down the hallway and Sean places his hand on her back. Sean looks at Veronica, smiles and walks to his office with Vicky.

Int. the girl's bedroom - Early morning

Veronica and Vicky share a double bed. Veronica is on her side staring at Vicky's empty side of the bed. Veronica sits up. She gets up and puts on her dressing gown which is hanging on the door. She silently creeps out.

When she gets to Sean's office door she hesitates. She takes a deep breath and opens the door. Her shoulders drop. We see animal skins hung up, tools laid out, desk still lit up, nothing unusual. Veronica turns to leave but the ajar door at the back of the office catches her eye. She looks around the room and listens, searching for any sign of Sean. She places her hand on the door and pushes it open.

INT. ROOM IN SEAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT

It is pitch black and Veronica is fumbling around for a light switch. She bumps into something.

Veroncia

Sh*t

She turns on the light. She screams.

INT. ROOM IN SEAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT

Veronica stifles her scream with her hand and cry's at the sight of Vicky hanging from the ceiling.

She places her ear at Vicky's chest but only sobs harder. Veronica cups Vicky's face with her hands and looks her up and down.

Veronica

What....what did he do to you

Veronica looks to the rope attached around Vicky's waist. She unties it and supports Vicky against her.

Veronica puts Vicky on the ground and cradles her. She put's the sleeve of her nightgown up to her mouth to muffle her sobs.

We hear the door lock.

INT. room in sean's offics

Sean is in front of the locked door. He walks to the surgical table in the middle of the room and picks up a brown bottle and a cloth.

VERONICA (screaming)

HOW COULD YOU! YOU KILLED HER, YOU KILLED HER. YOU-YOU KILLED All OF THEM!

The camera pans to the several body's hanging from the ceiling. We see Derry and two elderly people hanging among them.

Veronica (SOBBING)

N-Nana and Grandad. Y-you killed them. How could you

Sean has his back turned to Veronica and is dipping the cloth in the brown bottle.

Sean

Shhhhh. You will wake your mother up.

Veronica

Did you kill her too

Sean

What an awful accusation I-

Veronica

Don't lie to me

Sean slams the bottle down on the dresser and starts walking over to Veronica.

Sean

She was sick, you know that. I fixed her. I fixed them all. Now they will last forever.

Veronica drags Vicky's body along the ground as she try's to crawl away from Sean. She is met with the wall.

Veronica

P-please, d-don't

He places the cloth over Veronica's mouth. She is screaming and clawing at him.

Sean

And now you will too

Int. dinner table

There is a sweet tune playing on the radio.

Veronica, Vicky and Amelia are sitting ridged around the dinner table. There is an empty seat between Vicky and Amelia.

Sean walks into frame and sits down. He picks up the paper and starts reading it.

We fade to black.

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