The Sixth Sense Page #4

LYNN:

Your Cocoa Puffs are getting soggy.

Lynn walks over to Cole. Checks his tie.

LYNN:

You got a spot.

Lynn unclips the tie. Cole takes a seat at the kitchen table as

Lynn walks back into the laundry room.

The dog is gone now. Lynn reaches into the dryer, digging for a

new tie. She finds one, then turns and steps back into the

kitchen and SCREAMS AT THE TOP OF HER LUNGS.

Every cabinet and every drawer is wide open.

Cole sits at the kitchen table. His hands are pressed flat on

the tabletop.

He looks shaken.

Neither says anything for a beat.

LYNN:

(shaken)

Something you were looking for,

baby?

Beat.

COLE:

(shaken)

Pop Tarts.

Lynn looks over to the open cabinet near the sink. The pop tarts

are clearly visible.

LYNN:

They're right here.

COLE:

Oh.

Cole gets up from the table. Takes his pop tarts. Doesn't make

eye contact.

COLE:

What are you thinking, Momma?

LYNN:

Lots of things.

COLE:

Anything bad about me?

Lynn leans down.

LYNN:

Look at my face.

Cole does.

LYNN:

I wasn't thinking anything bad

about you, got it?

He looks at her eyes. Beat.

COLE:

Got it.

THE DOOR BELL RINGS.

COLE:

(soft)

That's Tommy, Momma.

Cole quietly kisses his mother on the cheek and starts out.

LYNN:

Don't you want this?

Cole turns to see Lynn holding the pop tarts. He walks back and

takes them from her before leaving.

Beat. Lynn glances to the kitchen table. Her gaze stops on the

TWO TINY HAND PRINTS OF SWEAT formed on the table's surface.

Lynn stands motionless in the kitchen. She looks up and wraps

her arms around her shivering shoulders.

CUT TO:

EXT. BROWNSTONE STREET - MORNING

TOMMY TAMMISIMO is a tough-looking, eight-year-old Italian kid

who waits at the bottom of Cole's brownstone stairs in his school

uniform.

Cole emerges from the brownstone and moves down the steps.

Lynn's face appears in the kitchen window.

The two boys begin their walk down the street to school. Tommy

puts his arm around Cole. Lynn waves. Cole waves back.

When the two boys turn the corner and are out of Lynn's sight,

Tommy rips his arm away.

TOMMY:

Hey freak, how'd you like the "arm

around your shoulder" bit. I just

made it up. Went with it. That's

what great actors do. It's called

improv.

Tommy starts to run ahead, he turns and back pedals.

TOMMY:

(taunting)

Be careful... I hope no one jumps

out and gets you.

Tommy runs away.

Beat. Cole looks around nervously.

CUT TO:

EXT. ST. ANTHONY'S ACADEMY - MORNING

The last uniformed boys and girls rush into the front doors of

St. Anthony's Academy as the FINAL BELL SOUNDS.

Cole is the last one to go in. He stands alone on the sidewalk.

He looks like he'd rather be anywhere but there.

Beat.

He buries his hands in his pockets and begins a quiet walk by

himself into the school.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. COLE'S HOME - AFTERNOON

The front door CREAKS open as Cole walks in after school. He

looks around before closing the door. His eyes stop on Lynn

seated in the open doorway of the den. Malcolm is seated with

her. They both look up.

Lynn comes out. She reaches Cole -- kneels down in front of him.

LYNN:

(whispers)

How was school, baby?

Cole shrugs.

LYNN:

(whispers)

You know, you can tell me things if

you need to.

Cole doesn't respond. Beat.

LYNN:

(whispers)

Well, you know what I did today?

Cole shakes his head "No."

LYNN:

(whispers)

I won the Pennsylvania Lottery in

the morning. I quit my jobs. Ate

a big picnic in the park with lots

of chocolate mouses pie and then

swam in the fountain all afternoon...

(smiling)

What did you do?

Cole starts to smile too. He thinks.

COLE:

(whispers)

I was picked first for kickball

teams at recess. I hit a grand

slam to win the game and everyone

lifted me up on their shoulders and

carried me around cheering.

Cole and Lynn smile at each other. Beat.

Lynn tries to hide the utter sadness behind her smile.

LYNN:

I'll make triangle pancakes. You

got an hour.

Lynn takes Cole's school bag and jacket before moving to the

kitchen.

CUT TO:

INT. DEN - AFTERNOON

The den doubles as a playroom. Boxes of old toys sit in the

corner. A small, plastic, multi-colored table sits on the rug.

Cole appears in the doorway. Malcolm sits up and smiles.

He points to the chair on the other side of the coffee table.

MALCOLM:

You want to sit?

Cole nods very softly, "No."

MALCOLM:

Don't feel like talking right now?

Cole nods again very softly, "No."

MALCOLM:

How about we play a game first?

Cole looks a little more interested.

MALCOLM:

It's a mind-reading game... Did I

mention I could read minds?

Cole nods, "No."

MALCOLM:

Here's the game. I'll read your

mind. If what I say is right, you

take a step forwards the chair. If

I'm wrong, you take a step

backwards the doorway. If you

reach the chair, you sit. If you

reach the door, you can go. Deal?

Cole tilts his head, then nods, "Yes."

Malcolm presses his fingers to his temples like a vaudeville

magician. He closes his eyes tight.

MALCOLM:

Just after your mom and dad were

divorced, your mom went to a doctor

like me and it didn't help her.

And so you think I'm not going to

help you.

Beat. Cole, surprised, takes a small step forward.

MALCOLM:

You're worried because she said she

told him things. Things she

couldn't tell anybody else.

(beat)

Secrets.

Cole takes a step. Malcolm opens his eyes. He looks right at

Cole.

MALCOLM:

You have a secret. But you don't

want to tell me.

Beat. Cole takes another step. The next step will put him at

the chair. Malcolm lowers his fingers from his temple.

MALCOLM:

(whispers)

You don't have to tell me your

secret if you don't want to.

Malcolm smiles. Returns his fingers to the mind-reading

position. Malcolm looks to Cole's arm. Cole is wearing A LARGE

SILVER WATCH. It swims on his thin wrist. It could probably

slide up to his shoulder. Malcolm closes his eyes.

MALCOLM:

Your father gave you that watch as

a present before he left.

Cole takes a step BACK. Beat. Malcolm lowers his hands

surprised.

COLE:

He forgot it in a drawer. It

doesn't work.

Beat. Malcolm puts his fingers to his temple. This time a

little bit slower. He gazes at Cole's school uniform.

MALCOLM:

You don't like to say much at

school. You're an excellent

student however. You've never been

in any kind of serious trouble.

Beat. Cole takes a slow step back. Beat.

COLE:

We were supposed to draw a picture.

Anything we wanted... I drew a man.

He got hurt in the neck by another

man with a screwdriver.

AN UNCOMFORTABLE SILENCE OVERTAKES THE DEN.

MALCOLM:

You saw that on T.V., Cole?

Cole answers by taking a small step back. Beat.

COLE:

Everybody got upset. They had a

meeting. Momma started crying.

(beat)

I don't draw like that anymore.

Rate this script:2.9 / 11 votes