While We're Young Page #8

47.

A tall thin guy, 30’s, with pale skin and long black hairkneels at a make-shift shrine. This is the shaman. In front

of him is an altar decorated with crystals and laminatedcards of St. Francis, Gandhi, Merlin, King Tut.

Josh leans over to Cornelia:

JOSH:

How did King Tut become magical allof a sudden?

Jamie, in a white Puma track-suit, leans forward over acouple of people on Josh’s other side.

JAMIE:

It’s because they discovered his tombin the occult boom of the 20’s.

“Shhh!” from the group.

The shaman pops open what looks like a Coke bottle and poursa brown sludgy liquid into a shot glass. He says abenediction. People, in succession, crawl over to him, hedoes a blessing of sorts on their forehead and hands them theglass. They drink and return to their original spots.

We watch as Jamie, Darby, Cornelia and Josh drink the darksludge.

Jamie drinks without thought.

Darby does the quotes thing in the air before she drinks.

DARBY:

This is our twenties!

CORNELIA:

I’m forty-one.

Cornelia sips it. She looks up at the shaman who smilesencouragingly. She downs it and hands it back to him

proudly.

Josh hesitates, looks back at the group. He shrugs and downsit, a significant portion missing his mouth. He quicklywipes at his chin and tries to get the spillage back into hismouth. He licks his fingers and palm and the sides of theglass then hands the glass back to the shaman, who looksmildly irritated.

They’re back in their circle. The woman next to Josh

whispers:

48.

WOMAN:

Supposedly everyone sees Egyptianimagery.

JOSH:

Oh yeah?

WOMAN:

I want to clear some father issues.

You?

JOSH:

Oh, I don’t know.

WOMAN:

It’s good to have a focus.

JOSH:

(thinks about it)

Fear of death? You know, linear timenot being such a big deal.

The lights are lowered. The shaman’s assistant clears the

air with an eagle feather.

JOSH:

(whispers)

What’s the bucket for?

WOMAN:

Puking.

People “shhh” Josh. The shaman goes around the room andmakes a cross on everyone’s forehead. Josh closes his eyes.

The FOLLOWING is in choppy, almost impressionistic images:

People start to trip. Darby gets up and joins a couple whois dancing.

SHAMAN:

We are purging dark energies, pastpain.

He plays some bongos and shakes a shaker.

DARBY:

(under her breath)

This shaman is kind of a d-bag.

The woman next to Josh grabs a bucket and pukes.

JOSH:

That’s my bucket.

49.

WOMAN:

I’m puking out your sh*t!

Josh crawls next to Cornelia.

JOSH:

I feel it! Oh my God, I see afucking pyramid. And a sphinx. It’s

true, you see Egyptian sh*t. Honey,

what are you seeing?

CORNELIA:

I’m in a deli in Bensonhurst.

JOSH:

The serpent, Apep is speaking to me.

He’s saying, go to the cattle of Ra.

The Celestial Cow is waiting.

CORNELIA:

I’m purchasing a bag of Sun Chips.

CUT TO:
Jamie stands with the shaman.

JAMIE:

I don’t believe in any statesupported art. I think you need tojust do it yourself.

He vomits.

JAMIE:

(gargling vomit)

I voted for Romney.

Everyone vomits. We see this in succession.

SHAMAN:

Watch the carpet!

CUT TO:
Josh opens his eyes. The room is a blur -- white

figures drifting past. Josh gets up.

Cornelia talks with the shaman in a corner. Josh waves her

over madly. She excuses herself.

JOSH:

Maybe don’t flirt with the shaman.

CORNELIA:

He was telling me about his boat.

Cornelia grows quiet. Her eyes are glazed.

50.

JOSH:

What?

CORNELIA:

I wish you’d look at me the way youlook at Jamie and Darby.

JOSH:

I look at you that way...

CORNELIA:

No, you don’t. You used to. When we

first met you were like you are withthem, you wooed me with romanticemails...

JOSH:

There’s no point in us emailingnow...we’re in the same room all of

the time.

CORNELIA:

(hesitates)

I don’t want to take away yourenthusiasm for Jamie and Darby, I’mglad you like them so much...I justwish I could feel that energy fromyou once in a while.

CUT TO:
Darby leans her head against the wall. She talks to

the man next to her.

DARBY:

I was falling asleep today on the Ltrain and you know how your braingets in these loops? I couldn’t

remember the shape of a pineapple:

“Are they like pears?” No, they’relike footballs with the ends cut off.

It’s hard to call to mind the shapesof things. Do you find that?

She vomits.

CUT TO:

31 INT. VICTORIAN HOUSE - DARK ROOM. NIGHT 31

Cornelia wanders into a dark room. She sees Josh comingtoward her.

CORNELIA:

Josh, I’m sorry.

51.

She embraces him. He holds her. They rock side to side.

Cornelia kisses Josh on the mouth, long and passionate. She

hesitates.

CORNELIA:

You taste different.

Cornelia pulls back.

CORNELIA:

Josh?

JAMIE:

It’s me.

CORNELIA:

Jamie, sh*t. I thought you wereJosh. I’m so f***ed up. I’m sorry.

She puts her head on his shoulder.

CORNELIA:

Ugh, how embarrassing.

JAMIE:

It’s okay, worm.

She looks up at him and they kiss again. She stops.

CORNELIA:

Let’s never do that again.

She walks away.

CUT TO:

32 INT. VICTORIAN HOUSE - HALLWAY. NIGHT 32

Josh drifts down a hallway. His eyes blinded by driftinggeometric shapes and figures.

JOSH:

It stopped working. Cornelia, minestopped working anymore!

But Cornelia isn’t there. He slips and rights himself withthe wall.

JOSH:

Nothing is happening.

He trips and hits the floor with a thud.

Jamie is picking Josh up -

Blue (09/16/2013) 5252.

JAMIE:

How you doing, Yosh?

JOSH:

Is yours working? Mine isn’t

working.

JAMIE:

Mine’s working.

JOSH:

What if I don’t find anything out?

He looks at Jamie, tears rolling down his face. He now sees

that Jamie is filming him.

JAMIE:

Just roll with it. You’re going tobe fine, see.

JOSH:

Thanks, Jamie. You’re so kind. And

so generous. I’m so proud andselfish. I want to be generous like

you. I want to help you with yourfilm. I’ll come with you to film the

guy. I don’t want credit or

anything, just to help out.

JAMIE:

Thanks Joshy, that’s beautiful.

JOSH:

Before we met, the only two feelingsI had left were...wistful and

disdainful. And being around you...Isee what’s possible again. Is that

corny?

JAMIE:

It’s goddamn corny, Joshy.

JOSH:

Yeah, I guess it is. I’m a cornball.

(pause)

I’ve felt like a failure for years.

I wish Cornelia and I had had kids.

JAMIE:

It’s not too late, is it?

Josh vomits. Jamie holds his head while he retches.

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JOSH:

Thanks.

JAMIE:

No problem, Jussle.

Jamie vomits.

33 EXT. VICTORIAN HOUSE - FRONT PORCH. MORNING 33

Cornelia sits on the stairs. She looks exhausted. People onthe street are starting their day, taking kids out, moving

cars.

JOSH (O.S.)

It’s still tonight for us, but it’stomorrow for everyone else.

Josh sits beside her. He looks tired, pale, worse for wear.

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