The Butterfly Effect Page #11

Mr. Miller gets behind the lens. The room is dead silent.

MR. MILLER

Let's go.

ANGLE ON TOMMY:

Who silently opens the door at the top of the basement stairs and watches with horror.

Evan's face is flushed with rage. He walks behind Kayleigh and cups his hands tightly around her ears. She can't hear anything now.

EVAN:

What time is it?

MR. MILLER

It's time for you to stand where the hell I told you.

EVAN:

Wrong answer, fuckbag. This is the very moment of your reckoning. In the next thirty seconds you're going to open one of two doors. The first door will forever traumatize your own flesh and blood.

The mature speech seems completely surreal coming from a seven-year old. Mr. Miller looks around the room as if he's the butt of some sick joke.

MR. MILLER

(stunned disbelief)

What's happened to -- How are you doing that?

EVAN:

(voice rising)

It'll change your daughter from a beautiful child into an empty shell whose only concept of trust was betrayed by her own sick pedophile father. Ultimately, it'll lead to her suicide. Nice work, daddy.

MR. MILLER

(hoarse whisper)

Who - who are you?

Evan impatiently waves the question.

EVAN:

Let's just say you're being closely watched, George. Your other option is to get your porn off the rack and treat Kayleigh like...oh, let's say like how a loving father treats his daughter. Sound okay to you, Papa?

MR. MILLER

(choking)

...yes.

EVAN:

Listen close then, fuckbag. You screw up again and I swear I'll flat out castrate you.

The impact of the last sentence isn't lost on Mr. Miller.

EVAN:

One last thing.

Evan leans over to whisper in Kayleigh's ear. Kayleigh stares at the floor, then looks up at her father and shivers.

Kayleigh looks into Evan's eyes for support. Evan nods go on. His confidence brings a boldness to her lips.

KAYLEIGH:

Don't you ever touch me again.

MR. MILLER

I - I won't.

Kayleigh summons her own new courage.

KAYLEIGH:

I'm cold. And I'm putting on my clothes.

As he leaves to pick up her clothes, Evan grins.

EVAN:

What you need to do is discipline your son Tommy, because the kid's one sadistic pup.

Hiding at the top of the basement stairs, Tommy recoils in horror and picks up one of his sister's dolls and begins twisting the head back and forth...

FLASH! SMASH CUT TO:

INT. SORORITY BEDROOM - MORNING - 2002

A broad smile lines Evan's face as he slowly wakes up from his slumber. He suddenly grabs his head as if suffering from a pounding migraine.

MONTAGE OF SWIRLING MEMORIES

Quick cuts and flashes of Evan and Kayleigh growing older - she seems more carefree now, full of life and less-self conscious.

EXT. ANDREA'S HOUSE - DAY - 1989

Evan pulls Kayleigh around in a little red wagon.

INT. FAMILY RESTAURANT - DAY - 1989

Evan and Kayleigh play in a tub of balls in the playroom.

EXT. PLAYGROUND - DAY - 1989

Kayleigh pushes Evan on a tire swing.

INT. MULTIPLEX THEATER - NIGHT - 1995

Tommy, glaring at Evan, thrashes the Teen Punk.

EXT. JUNKYARD - DAY - 1995

Burning sack in flames.

EXT. ANDREA'S HOUSE - STREET - 1995

QUICK FLASH of the U-Haul driving away.

EXT. BUS STATION - DAY - 1995

At thirteen, Kayleigh spunkily hops off a GREYHOUND BUS and runs into Evan's arms.

EXT. ANDREA'S NEW HOUSE - DAY - 1995

Still thirteen, Evan peddles his bike by his new house, Kayleigh riding on the handlebars.

More memory flashes of Evan and Kayleigh throughout the teen years, they grow up as lovers now:

EXT. LAKE - DAY - 1997

Evan and Kayleigh have romantic picnic on a rowboat.

EXT. HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL FIELD - SUNRISE - 2000

Evan and Kayleigh watch the sunrise after senior prom.

BACK TO:

INT. SORORITY BEDROOM - MORNING - 2002

Finally the memory assault is over. Evan groans in pain as blood trickles from his nose.

An arm reaches over and touches his shoulder.

KAYLEIGH (O.S.)

Honey, are you all right?

Evan whips around to see Kayleigh watching him. Not only is Kayleigh alive, but she's a ravishing beauty.

Evan lurches back from the shock of seeing Kayleigh and falls to the floor. She sees Evan's nose bleed and her eyes go wide.

KAYLEIGH:

Oh my God, Evan. You're bleeding! Look at you!

Evan, still stunned, can do little but stare from the floor.

EVAN:

(transfixed by her)

Jesus, Kayleigh, you're...

(looks around)

Incredible.

KAYLEIGH:

(purring)

Mmmm... You' give good compliment. Clean up and come back to bed.

He stands in the middle of her bedroom, surrounded by sorority plaques and pink preppy decor.

Evan, hardly able to take his eyes off her as she hands him a tissue. He reaches for his clothes at the foot of the bed and comes up with a Greek-lettered fraternity sweatshirt and brown suede jacket.

EVAN:

Where...where are my clothes?

KAYLEIGH:

Those are your clothes, silly.

Evan frowns with distaste, grabs a towel and heads out.

WE FOLLOW HIM INTO:

INT. SORORITY BATHROOM - MORNING

At the sink, Evan washes the blood off his face and looks at his reflection in the mirror. A nearby shower SHUTS OFF.

EVAN:

This is too amazing! Un-f***ing-real!

WOMAN'S VOICE (O.S.)

I wish I could get so excited about a nose bleed.

Evan turns around and sees Gwen, one of the sorority brats from the bar, exit the shower naked.

EVAN:

Whoops. Sorry. My bad.

Evan blushes and turns back to the mirror through which Gwen dries herself with a towel while staring flirtatiously back at Evan.

EVAN:

Hey, you were with those a**holes who threw popcorn at Thumper.

Evan holds his temple in pain as another memory comes to him.

EVAN:

And your name is...Gwen!

GWEN:

Seriously, Evan. Lay off the blow.

She pats his ass and exits the bathroom.

EXT. COLLEGE - QUAD - DAY - 2002

Kayleigh, wearing a long skirt and tight red sweater, catches the eye of every guy on campus. She and Evan stroll arm in arm through the quad.

Somehow, the world seems brighter now. Even the colors seem more vibrant when compared to the somewhat grimmer world we've known.

MANY STUDENTS wave to Evan and call his name. He can't remember all their names but it's kinda cool being the BMOC.

Evan takes a long look at her and becomes curious.

EVAN:

Hey, uh, don't go freaking out on me over this, but do you remember when your dad first got his video camera?

KAYLEIGH:

Well I remember he had one...but he, like, put it away after the first day. Why would that freak me out?

EVAN:

I dunno.

(goofy smile)

Just being weird.

Kayleigh playfully sweeps her leg around to kick him on the ass, then smiles as if a ghost must have done it.

KAYLEIGH:

Such a goofus. See you tonight.

Kayleigh gives him a big unexpected kiss and walks away. After a moment of wow, Evan runs off to class himself.

INT. DORM LOBBY - DAY

Evan inserts his last quarter into the lobby pay phone and dials a telephone number.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote