What Lies Beneath Page #12

CLAIRE:

Oh God...

They dissolve into giggles. Norman and Stan smile.

STAN:

Well...

NORMAN:

(to Stan)

I made an honest woman out of her.

Elena puts her hand on Claire's.

ELENA:

(to Stan)

You should have heard her play.

CLAIRE:

Stop.

ELENA:

We both auditioned for the

Philharmonic. One cello position

open.

CLAIRE:

Do we have to?

ELENA:

And I kicked ass. My best stuff.

Then I stood in the hallway and

listened to her audition... and I

cried.

CLAIRE:

She's making this up.

ELENA:

I'm not. Couldn't pick up my cello

for weeks.

STAN:

What happened?

Elena looks at Claire, then smiles.

ELENA:

She got it.

(beat)

Turned it down.

CLAIRE:

I met a dashing young grad student

after a recital one night...

Claire puts her arm around Norman.

CLAIRE:

...and three months later I was

married.

He squeezes her hand.

INT. WORK ROOM - DAY

Claire walks into the work room with the portable phone to

her ear and a cup of Jody's special tea. She sniffs it and

makes a face as she turns on the computer. After several

rings a GIRL picks up on the other end.

CLAIRE:

(on phone)

Caitlin?

GIRL'S VOICE

(overlapping)

Can you hang up? I'm trying to make

a call.

The line goes dead. Claire hits redial and gets... a BUSY

SIGNAL. She clicks the phone off as the computer boots up.

Claire puts the phone down and starts a game of Alice's

Solitaire. She turns a card and waits.

CLAIRE:

Gee, that's tricky. Sure could use

some help.

She waits, the cursor blinks benignly.

CLAIRE:

Come on...

Nothing happens.

INT. NORMAN AND CLAIRE'S ROOM - DAY

She walks into the room and notices STEAM wafting from the

cracked bathroom door.

INT. BATHROOM - DAY

Claire enters the steamy bathroom. The tub is nearly

overflowing with water. She squats down to drain the tub.

She stops, feeling watched, then slowly peers behind her...

no one's there. Claire reaches toward the water to yank the

plug's chain, then freezes. In the bathwater's still

reflection she see:

A PRETTY YOUNG BLOND standing beside her. Startled, she pops

up and slams into the SHOWER HEAD.

Claire collapses over the side of the tub, her head dipping

underwater. A small cloud of red surrounds her. Moments later,

an arm wraps around her.

CUT TO:

VOICE (O.S.)

Claire...

INT. BATHROOM - DAY

CLAIRE'S POV - A FACE sharpens into focus hovering above

her... Norman.

INT. BEDROOM - DAY

Claire sits on the bed. Norman dabs the blood from a tiny

cut on the back of her head.

CLAIRE:

I don't need a shrink.

NORMAN:

(gently)

Harvey says he's amazing.

CLAIRE:

Norman...

NORMAN:

What can it hurt to talk to someone?

She goes to her dresser and gets a PRESCRIPTION BOTTLE and

starts to open it. Norman gently places a hand on her arm.

NORMAN:

Please.

She shoots him a look...

NORMAN:

You promised.

...and puts the pills down.

NORMAN:

(gently)

Claire, she's been a huge part of

your life for seventeen years. If

you weren't thrown off balance by

this, then something would be wrong.

CLAIRE:

I never said I wasn't upset. Of course

I'm upset. I miss her terribly. But

I know what I saw and what I heard...

and it wasn't some "symptom" of

something...

NORMAN:

I never said...

CLAIRE:

...and I don't think I'm some lonely,

middle-aged woman cracking up.

Beat.

NORMAN:

Are you lonely?

CLAIRE:

No! And I don't need a psychiatrist!

INT. DR. DRAYTON'S OFFICE - DAY

Claire sits in a comfortable looking chair with her purse in

her lap, arms crossed.

DR. DRAYTON (O.S.)

(a smooth, mellifluous

baritone)

Who's idea was it?

CLAIRE:

Mine. His. We both... thought...

Rate this script:4.0 / 4 votes