Unbreakable Page #6

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DAVID(low voice)

When was the last time I

wore pink?

MEGAN(low voice)

The Mitchell barbecue three

years ago.

DAVID(realizing)

Oh sh*t...

MEGAN(low voice)

Matching shirt and shorts.

It was brutal.

David half-smiles as Megan turns and starts back into the guest room.

DAVID(low voice)

Goodnight Megan.

Megan looks back at her husband. Just for a moment. Then she looks down.

MEGAN(low voice)

Goodnight David.

Megan closes the door slowly shut.

FADE TO BLACK:

INT. BEDROOM - AFTERNOON

WE EMERGE in a cramped sparse bedroom.

LEGEND "1974"

A thirteen year old Elijah sits in a chair with his arm in a sling. He watches a

small black and white television in the corner of the room.

WE HEAR FOOTSTEPS. Elijah's mother walks into the room. She looks around for a

moment, and then moves to the television. Turns it off.

The room GOES SILENT.

ELIJAH'S MOTHER

No more sitting in this

room. I've let it go on long

enough.

ELIJAH:

I'm not going out anymore.

I'm not getting hurt again.

This was the last time. I

told you.

ELIJAH'S MOTHER

You can't do anything about

that. You might fall between

that chair and this

television. If that's what

God has planned for you,

that's what's going to

happen. You can't hide from

it in your room.

Elijah just sits staring at the dark television screen.

ELIJAH:

They call me Mr. Glass at

school. Cause I break like

glass.

Elijah's face is tense. Unyielding. Beat.

Elijah's mother says the next words in almost a whisper.

ELIJAH'S MOTHER

...You make this decision

now to be afraid...

(beat)

And you'll never turn back

your whole life. You'll

always be afraid.

Elijah's eyes move from the television to his mother. He sees the emotion in her

face. Neither says anything for a while. Beat.

ELIJAH'S MOTHER

...I got a present for you.

ELIJAH:

Why?

ELIJAH'S MOTHER

Forget why. Do you want it

or not?

Elijah thinks it over. He nods, "Yes."

ELIJAH'S MOTHER

Well, go get it then.

ELIJAH:

Where is it?

ELIJAH'S MOTHER

On a bench, across the

street.

Elijah looks at his mother with disbelief.

ELIJAH'S MOTHER

You calling me a liar?

She points to the window. Beat. Elijah gets up and moves to the only window in

the room.

The view from his room looks out over a narrow street. On the other side of the

street is a public playground. A handful of children are playing on it.

There are three benches to one side of the swings. On one of them is a THIN

PACKAGE wrapped in brown paper with a bow on it.

Elijah looks to his mom who has joined him at the window.

ELIJAH:

Someone's gonna take it.

Beat.

ELIJAH'S MOTHER

Then you better get out

there soon.

CUT TO:

EXT. PLAYGROUND - AFTERNOON

Elijah walks across the playground. He's very wary of the other children running

about him.

He walks towards the bench with the present on it. Takes a seat. Puts the package

on his lap. It's flat. The edges of the bend down over his thin legs.

He undoes the white bow. He peels off the clear tape holding the brown paper

together. He unfolds the paper. Beat.

Elijah stares down at the single comic book in his lap.

He feels the shadow of his mother. She takes a seat next to him.

ELIJAH'S MOTHER

I bought a whole bunch.

They'll be one of these

waiting for you, every time

you want to come out here.

Beat.

ELIJAH'S MOTHER

They said this one has a

surprise ending.

Elijah looks to his mother. His intelligent piercing eyes take her in for a

moment.

He looks back down at his lap. He opens the first page...

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. STORE - DAY

The same intelligent piercing eyes, twenty-five years older. Elijah has grown

into a handsome, regal looking man. He leans on a walking stick.

He's looking at an impressively framed charcoal sketch on a wall. Two figures are

depicted on the top of a building locked in fierce battle. One figure is

extremely muscular with a mask. The other is half human, half animal.

MAN:

This is from Fritz

Champion's own library. This

is before the first issue of

the comic book hit the

stands in 1968.

Elijah glances at the BUSINESS MAN standing next to him and then back to the

sketch.

ELIJAH:

It's a classic depiction of

good versus evil. Notice the

square jaw of Slayer -

common in most comic book

heroes. And the slightly

disproportionate size of

Jaguaro's body to his head.

This again is common, but

only in villains... The

thing to notice about this

piece... The thing that

makes it very, very

special... is its realistic

depiction of its figures.

When the characters

eventually made it into the

magazine they were

exaggerated... as always

happens.

(beat)

This is vintage.

The business man rubs his face. Gazes at the sketch. Beat.

BUSINESS MAN:

Wrap it up.

ELIJAH:

You've made a considerably

wise decision.

Elijah starts to the back of the store which we now see is some type of art

gallery where all the framed pictures are images and sketches from comic books.

BUSINESS MAN:

My kid's gonna go berserk.

Elijah jams his walking stick into the extra thick carpet and stops. He turns.

ELIJAH:

Once again please?

BUSINESS MAN:

My son Jeb. It's a gift for

him.

ELIJAH:

How old is Jeb?

BUSINESS MAN:

Four.

ELIJAH:

No.

Elijah starts back to the businessman shaking his head strongly.

ELIJAH:

No, no, no, no no... You

need to go now.

BUSINESS MAN:

What did I say?

ELIJAH:

Do you see any Telletubbies

around here?... Do you see

a slender plastic tag

clipped to my shirt with my

name printed on it?... Do

you see a little Asian child

with a blank expression

sitting outside in a

mechanical helicopter that

shakes when you put a

quarter in it?... No?...

Well that's what you see at

a toy store? Any you must

think this is a toy store,

cause you're in here

shopping for an infant named

Jeb. One of us has made a

gross error and wasted the

other person's valuable

time...

Elijah's eyes pierce through the shaken man.

ELIJAH:

This is an art gallery my

friend. This is piece of

art...

Elijah points at the sketch.

ELIJAH:

This is one of seventeen

original drawings by Fritz

Champion remaining in the

world. It's value will

triple every year... This

piece is to be treasured. To

be cherished... To be

coveted by every single one

of your banker friends that

think they're better than

you.

The business man stares at the sketch with large eyes. Beat.

BUSINESS MAN:

What if I kept it?

Beat.

ELIJAH:

I'm listening.

BUSINESS MAN:

I'll keep it in my office

room.

ELIJAH:

What about Jeb?

BUSINESS MAN:

I have a lock on the door.

Elijah just stares.

ELIJAH:

Will it be near a window?

BUSINESSMAN:

No direct sunlight will fall

on it.

Elijah eyes the man for many seconds. Beat.

ELIJAH:

Come back in three days.

I'll think about it.

Elijah starts to the back. He passes the front door as two customers walk in.

Elijah talks over his shoulder to them.

ELIJAH:

We're by appointment only.

MAN:

I received a card from your

store.

ELIJAH:

Congratulations, you have a

mailbox... The sale isn't

for two weeks.

MAN:

This one was under the

windshield of my car.

Elijah turns and faces the customers for the first time. David Dunne stands with

Jeremy.

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