Unbreakable Page #3

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He rises and puts the bowl away in the sink.

INT. FRONT HALL - NIGHT

David stops just before rising the stairs. He glances into a bedroom at the

bottom of the stairs. The doorway is half open. He makes eye contact with his

wife. Beat.

DAVID:

I don't think I got the job

in New York.

MEGAN:

What does that mean?

DAVID:

I'm still going to New York.

Just not this second.

MEGAN:

I don't want to drag this

out too long for Jeremy.

DAVID:

I know.

Beat.

DAVID:

How about in the meantime,

you don't sleep in the

guestroom anymore?

(beat)

You sleep in our room. I'll

sleep down here.

Beat.

MEGAN:

It stopped being our room a

long time ago.

(beat)

You should go up and get

some rest.

Beat. Megan slowly closes the door to the guest bedroom.

CUT TO:

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

David looks at his son asleep in his bed.

DAVID:

Jeremy, why don't you go

sleep with your mom?

JEREMY(eyes closed)

I want to sleep here

tonight.

DAVID:

I think it's be better if I

was alone.

JEREMY(eyes closed)

I won't make any noise.

DAVID:

How about your room then? If

you get scared like before,

you can come back in here?

Beat. Jeremy doesn't answer because he's asleep. David rubs his forehead and gets

up. He turns on the t.v., low volume, as he moves into the bathroom.

CUT TO:

INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT

Hot water rushes over David's face as he stands in the shower. His attention is

drawn to the t.v. which is seen through the slightly open bathroom door.

He turns off the water to HEAR.

NEWS ANCHOR(t.v.)

...Derailed approximately

seven and half miles outside

Philadelphia. It came to

rest on its side on the

northbound tracks. It is

train officials belief that

some if not most of the

passengers were still alive

at this time.

NEWS ANCHOR(t.v.)

The momentary peace lasted

only a few seconds. A Boston

bound freight train on the

northbound tracks was

seconds away from passing

train 177 when it derailed.

The impact happened at about

three-fifteen p.m. The first

of the two occupied

passenger cars was severed

in half and sent careening

in two directions. The

second of the passenger cars

was crushed and dragged for

four hundred feet. Six crew

members were on the freight.

One hundred and eighteen

passengers and seven crew

members were on the

passenger train... There is

one reported survivor.

(beat)

Rescue teams will be working

for the next forty-eight

hours removing bodies and

debris.

David steps out of the shower. He sees a glimpse of Jeremy asleep in bed. David

shuts the door. Locks it.

He gets back into the shower and turns the water back on.

He closes his eyes. His face tightens up. He slowly hunches down and takes a seat

on the tiled floor of the shower. Water pours over him. Beat.

His muscular body begins to shake. Then we realize he's crying.

FADE TO BLACK:

EXT. FAIR - DAY

LEGEND "1969"

A hazy afternoon. A fair has come into town. They have set up in the vast parking

lot of the local high school.

A line of women has formed in front of the portable bathrooms.

The striking African American woman we saw giving birth is now standing in line.

She is older and somehow more beautiful.

She stands with a skinny, almost ethereal looking African American boy. The boy

wears a metal brace on his leg. THE EIGHT YEAR OLD ELIJAH holds two oversized

stuffed animals in his arms. He looks back over his shoulder as THE SOUND OF

VOICES YELLING IN EXCITEMENT FILL THE AIR. His eyes dance over the many colorful

rides in the parking lot.

The door opens to one of the portable bathrooms. A woman steps out.

Elijah's mother touches his head and enters the three foot square plastic

bathroom. She turns back and gives him a look.

MOTHER:

We'll play the water pistol

game next.

Elijah nods, "Yes" happily.

The mother closes the cubicle door. Elijah is left alone amongst the line of

women. They stare at him blankly. Their eyes moves over his leg brace. Elijah

doesn't like it. He moves away from the line.

A CRESCENDO OF CHEERS RISES IN THE AIR FROM SOMEWHERE IN THE FAIR. Elijah follows

the voices. He carries the stuffed animals through the crowds of people. CLICK.

CLICK. CLICK. His metal brace sounds as he walks.

For a moment, he sees nothing but bodies all around him.

He emerges amongst a huddle of teenagers who wait at a turnstile.

A man in a red and white striped coat takes their tickets and waves them in.

Elijah looks up and sees the sign above the turnstile... "The Hurricane."

He watches the teenagers giggle as they each into a grey cup-like seat. They pull

the metal bars down in front of them.

The man in the red and white stripes leaves the turnstile.

Elijah stares up at the multi-colored sign. Beat. He moves quickly. Ducks under

the turnstile and climbs onto the platform.

Elijah finds and empty circular seat. He slips inside the gray metal compartment

and sits. He pulls down the rusted metal bar in front of him.

He looks around at all the excited faces. His eyes fill with excitement too.

His small hands feel the cold metal of the interior of the compartment. His

expression changes.

Elijah looks to the stuffed animals in his arms. He presses them to check their

softness. He places the stuffed animals on either side of him on the seat. He's

wedged in between them. Feels good.

He reaches out and touches the hard rusted metal bar in front of him. Elijah

looks a little anxious. Beat.

He pulls off his sweater and wraps it around the bar. It goes around twice before

he ties the arms together. He checks its softness.

Elijah looks around the customized cup-like compartment he sits in. He smiles an

eight year old smile of pride.

AND THEN HE HEARS HIS MOTHER'S VOICE.

He searches around and finds her walking in the waves of people. He hears her

calling.

MOTHER:

Elijah...

She moves in his direction by chance. She finds herself at the entrance to The

Hurricane ride. She looks up at the sign above the turnstile. Her worried eyes

immediately start searching the young faces in the gray circular compartments.

Her eyes meet Elijah's. He waves. Her face goes very still.

A HUGE ROAR OF MACHINERY as the ride starts up.

Elijah yells to his mother as the platform starts running.

ELIJAH:

I won't get hurt momma! I'm

safe!

HIS WORDS GET EATEN UP BY THE CHEERS OF THE TEENAGERS AND THE GRIND OF MACHINERY.

The platform spins. He sees a glimpse of his mother and the red and white striped

man. She's pointing at Elijah.

The platform turns... Elijah sees a flash of the red and white striped man's

angered face as he yells at the frantic woman next to him.

And then the ride speeds up.

The gray circular seats start to spin on their own. The teenagers CHEER.

Elijah's eyes fill with joy as the wind plays against his face.

Suddenly the ride changes directions. The cup-like seats get jerked. Everyone

grabs the metal bars to hold on.

Elijah laughs as he smashes into the stuffed animal on his right. It cushions him

and then falls to the floor of the compartment along with the other stuffed

animal.

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