The Sixth Sense Page #15

Then he hits the rewind button. Stops it. Presses play.

MALCOLM:

(on tape)

--about that. Hope I didn't leave

you too long... Wow, it's cold in

here--

Malcolm hits the rewind button again. Lets it rewind for a

while. Presses play.

MALCOLM:

(on tape)

--like needles either. When I was

a kid, I had this blood test down --

threw up chill cheese fries all

over this male nurse.

WE HEAR VINCENT CHUCKLE SOFTLY.

THE SOUND OF A DOOR OPENING IS HEARD.

SECRETARY:

(on tape)

Excuse me, Doctor Reed is on line

two.

MALCOLM:

(on tape)

Vincent, I have to take this. Give

me a minute.

VINCENT:

(on tape)

Okay.

FOOTSTEPS AS MALCOLM AND THE SECRETARY LEAVE THE ROOM. THE DOOR

CLOSES. AND THE SILENCE.

Nothing happens for a long time. AND THEN WE HEAR A SUDDEN CHAIR

SCREECH ACROSS THE FLOOR. VINCENT'S BREATHING QUICKENS.

A SLIGHT STATIC STARTS TO FILTER IN ON THE TAPE.

Malcolm's eyes are locked on the spool of audio tape as it spins

in the player.

Malcolm's fingers move to the volume dial. He turns it way up.

THE STATIC NOISE FROM THE TAPE FILLS THE BASEMENT.

Malcolm leans closer to the tape player. Closes his eyes and

listens... Beat.

DEEP IN THE STATIC... ANOTHER SOUND EMERGES, WHISPERING.

A MAN'S VOICE IS HEARD IN THE ROOM WITH VINCENT

MAN'S WHISPERING

(on tape)

Familia... No dejen que esto me

pase... Mi familia... Yo no

quiero morir... Familia...

Malcolm's mouth opens in disbelief.

MALCOLM:

...Jesus Christ.

CUT TO:

EXT. STREET - AFTERNOON

Malcolm stands on a familiar sidewalk. He stares into the bay

window of Mr. Marschal's brownstone.

Inside the window we see Mr. Marschal seated with a group of

older gentlemen his age. They sit around a table eating

sandwiches and talking. Malcolm watches as Mr. Marschal tells a

story to his friends. WE CAN'T HEAR WHAT HE'S SAYING, but when

he finishes everyone at the table laughs. Mr. Marschal smiles.

Malcolm can't help smiling as well. This is not the same man he

saw before. Life has returned to this house. Beat.

Malcolm turns and moves down the street. Each step faster than

the next.

CUT TO:

INT. CHURCH - LATE AFTERNOON

Malcolm moves to the front of the church down the center aisle.

His eyes scan the empty seats. No one in sight in any direction.

Malcolm stands in the aisle a little out of breath. He holds his

hand to his side as he winces a bit.

Malcolm's eyes float up to the balcony where toy soldiers sit on

the bannister. Cole's head pops up.

MALCOLM:

Hello again.

He looks down and studies Malcolm.

COLE:

You been running around?

Malcolm nods, "Yes."

COLE:

It makes you feel better?

Malcolm nods, "Yes" again.

COLE:

I like to run around. It's good

exercise.

(beat)

You want to ask me questions now?

Malcolm shakes his head, "No."

COLE:

You want to be a lance corporal in

Company M, 3rd Battalion, 7th

Marines? We're being dispatched to

the Quang Nam province.

Cole holds up his plastic rifleman. Malcolm's eyes show he

understands now.

MALCOLM:

Maybe later.

Beat.

COLE:

Something happened, didn't it?

MALCOLM:

Yes, it did.

COLE:

Are you wigging out?

MALCOLM:

Yes, I am.

COLE:

We're not gonna start crying again,

are we?

MALCOLM:

No, we're not.

COLE:

What happened?

Beat.

Malcolm glances around the empty church before looking back up to

Cole.

MALCOLM:

These people... People that died

and are still hanging around.

Maybe they weren't ready to go.

Cole studies Malcolm's passionate face. A new face.

COLE:

You really look better.

MALCOLM:

Maybe they wake up that morning

thinking they have a thousand

things to do and a thousand days

left to do them in... And then

all of a sudden, it's all taken

away. No one asked them. It's

just gone...

COLE:

You have nice red in your cheeks now.

MALCOLM:

Do you know what 'Yo no quiero

morir' is?

Cole shakes his head, "No."

MALCOLM:

It's Spanish. It means... 'I

don't want to die.'

(beat)

Not all the ghosts are scary, are

they? Like Mrs. Marschal?

COLE:

No.

MALCOLM:

What do those ghosts want when they

talk to you? Think real careful

now, Cole...

Cole stops moving. He looks over the balcony railing at Malcolm.

COLE:

Just help.

MALCOLM:

Yes! I think that's right!... I

think they all want that. Even the

scary ones...

COLE:

You believe now?

Malcolm's stare is unwavering.

MALCOLM:

I believe both of you now.

(beat)

And I think I might know how to

make them go away.

COLE:

You do?

Malcolm nods "Yes."

MALCOLM:

I think they know you're one of

those guys rare people can see them.

(beat)

You need to help them. Each one of

them.

(beat)

Everyone wants to be heard.

Everyone.

Cole takes a big sigh. Fiddles with his riflemen.

COLE:

What if they don't want help? What

if they're just angry and they want

to hurt somebody?

MALCOLM:

I don't think that's the way it

works, Cole.

Cole looks nervous.

COLE:

How do you know for sure?

Malcolm's eyes are drawn to Cole's arm. Peeking out from under

his shirt sleeve are a set of cuts. Malcolm gazes at them.

MALCOLM:

I don't.

Cole and Malcolm stand silently in the center aisle of the back

of the church.

CUT TO:

EXT. HOUSE - NIGHT

Malcolm moves around the corner on his street. His mind surges

with thoughts. And then he glances up. His steps slow to a

complete stop.

Further down the sidewalk, coming out of the front door of his

house is SEAN.

Malcolm's face turns to stone. He watches as Sean comes down the

front stairs and starts across the street.

A sudden rage surges up. Malcolm moves towards Sean fast.

Sean reaches his car and enters it. He doesn't notice the figure

closing in on him.

THE ENGINE STARTS. Malcolm reaches the car a second late. Sean

pulls away into traffic almost hitting another car as he does.

Malcolm watches the car disappear down the next street. Beat.

Malcolm turns and looks up at his home with unchecked anger and

overwhelming pain erupting his eyes.

CUT TO:

INT. HOUSE - NIGHT

Malcolm stands in his foyer.

Anna is sitting on the stairs, phone in her hand. She faces away

from the front.

Malcolm's a ball of tension as he listens to Anna talk into the

phone.

ANNA:

...You just walked out. You're

probably on your way home. I'm

leaving this message... I just

didn't get to say what I meant...

(beat)

I know you're confused. It's just...

I'm not prepared to do this, Sean.

(beat)

I don't want to be ashamed of that.

I don't want to have to make

excuses for that.

(beat)

And I wanted to tell you... I

bought your present wholesale from

a friend. I didn't even pay tax on

it. You don't need someone cheap

like that.

(beat)

By the way, it's a non-refundable

item, it's scratched on the bottom.

(beat)

Are you smiling?... I hope you're

smiling.

(beat)

I'll see you at the store.

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