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FADE IN:
EXT. RESIDENTIAL/URBAN STREET -- DAY
Sustained shot of a 3 year-old girl flying overhead, a look
of distress on her face. Slow motion.
CUT TO:
SOUND: SCREECH OF BRAKES, SYMBOLIC OF AN AUTO ACCIDENT
INT. COLLEGE DORM ROOM -- NIGHT
CLEO awakes with a start, unnerved by this nightmare.
Gradually, her eyes close again as she falls back to sleep.
CUT TO:
INT. COLLEGE CLASS ROOM -- DAY
Cleo sits in class listening to the PROFESSOR intone his
lecture on (?). She appears slightly preoccupied, yet still
half-attentive.
EXT. COLLEGE CAMPUS -- DAY
Cleo walking to her next class (side profile). She glances up
as she passes someone familiar to her, a boyfriend. This is
Mel.
MEL
How'd you do?
CLEO
I think pretty good; I studied.
MEL
Studied? Or (emulating falling
asleep) "studied"?
She bumps into him playfully.
CLEO
I mean really studied. It's not my
subject.
MEL
Is tonight coffee night?
CLEO
Yeah, I don't have classes
tomorrow.
CUT TO:
INT. DINER -- NIGHT
Cleo sits in a booth looking out at the night traffic.
Mel eats a hot fudge Sundae.
MEL
Tomorrow ... movies? What do you
want to see?
CLEO
I don't know. Something funny.
Don't you ever need to study?
MEL
Mm-mm ... genius.
Cleo laughs.
CLEO
You aren't!
MEL
I blow off studying a lot. You know
that. Studying what I'm supposed
to, anyway. I'm writing a story
about Vietnam. I study that more
than Statistics 101. It's
unbelievable what went on over
there.
CLEO
Like what?
Mel feeds her a spoonful of Sundae.
MEL
Like losing but not losing. People
here didn't want it, so our people
over there had to evacuate the
country. People were hanging off of
helicopters. That was Saigon, 1975.
Roy says we got out of Iraq before
it came to the same thing.
Cleo is quietly amused by this.
CLEO
Your brother still think 9/11 was
an inside job?
MEL
(Growing serious )
Because it was!
Cleo shakes her head in dismissive wonder.
MEL (CONT'D)
Steel doesn't melt at--
CLEO
I had that dream again. The one
about flying.
Mel idly twirls his spoon in his Sundae, attentive.
The bell over the door RINGS and both look to see a man
enter, approximately 60 years old. He never looks at them,
but takes a seat on the nearest stool. A WAITRESS arrives to
take his order.
CLEO (CONT'D)
I'm flying through the air, like
someone throwing me. And just
before I hit the ground, I wake up.
MEL
Well, obviously you're not dying.
Otherwise, you would in real life.
That's what they say.
CLEO
I know what they say.
Mel feeds her another spoonful of Sundae.
CLEO (CONT'D)
I think that's a myth. I think I've
died in dreams before, or knew I
was about to.
MEL
(Leading her)
Is that the same thing?
Anticipating and experiencing?
CUT TO:
EXT. GRASSY CURB -- DAY
A flashback shows us a 3 year-old Cleo rolling in the grass
as she comes to a spot.
She looks up at the direction from which she was thrown,
shock or wonder in her eyes.
CUT TO:
INT. DINER -- NIGHT
CLEO
I don't know if it's something I
saw on TV or what, but I keep
picturing it at the weirdest times.
It's the third dream now.
Mel continues twirling his spoon in his Sundae, concerned for
her.
CUT TO:
INT. HOME KITCHEN -- NEXT EVENING
Cleo's MOM is at the sink. Cleo sets the table. They sit down
as her younger brother STEVE comes in from outside and her
FATHER comes down from upstairs. Everyone eventually
gravitates to the table.
MOM makes everyone link hands. Steve is resigned to it. They
all link hands.
MOM
Come Lord Jesus, be our guest, and
let this food for us be blessed. By
His hand we all our fed, give us
Lord our daily bread. Amen.
Steaming bowls are passed around.
STEVE
So, what's Mel up to?
CLEO
5' 10", I think.
Father smirks.
MOM
He's not getting in the way of your
studies, is he? How'd the test go?
CLEO
Won't know 'til Tuesday.
FATHER
What test?
CLEO
60's Political History.
FATHER
You study?
CLEO
Of course. And no, Mel doesn't get
in the way. We're studying
different subjects.
FATHER
He know what he's going to do, yet?
CLEO
He wants to be a writer.
Father scoffs. No one else does.
MOM
(To Steve)
What about your test, hon?
On the kitchen counter, a small TV is on with the sound off.
Steve ignores the question and points out the news to the
others.
STEVE
Two murders now.
Father looks at him, off guard, then looks to the TV himself.
On screen is an artist's sketch of a middle aged man wearing
glasses and a fishing cap, with hooks all around it.
FATHER
I heard about it on the way home.
STEVE
They're saying it might be a serial
killer.
CLEO
Fruity Pebbles or Alpha Bits?
Mom laughs, her back to the TV everyone else is now paying
more attention to.
MOM
Don't let your food get cold.
STEVE
Dad, you think it's a serial
killer?
FATHER
I think it's a couple of murders,
that's all. The cops are guessing.
STEVE
How do you know?
MOM
Guys, c'mon, save the murders for
dessert, at least.
CLEO
I had this dream the night before.
Flying through the air, and maybe
hitting the ground, I don't
remember. I saw something like it
on a TV show, or movie, whatever it
was. Didn't you say once that I was
in some kind of accident? Like, a
car accident?
Father looks at his daughter sharply, but also has a good
poker face. He glances to his wife.
MOM
Yeah, sort of. You weren't in the
car. You were in the street. I
turned around for three seconds and
when I turned back, you were
running toward the street.
CLEO
You told me I tripped over
something and hit the sidewalk.
MOM
(Hesitating)
Yeah. That's right.
Father's face is grim.
STEVE
What if it is a serial killer? Will
there be a curfew?
CLEO
What do you care? You have to be in
bed by nine anyway.
STEVE
Summer's comin'.
CLEO
(To Mom)
You ever dream about something more
than once?
MOM
...No. I don't think I ever have.
Of course, nobody remembers all of
their dreams, so maybe.
Mom's disposition has grown slightly darker, but still
remains unnoticed by her kids.
On the TV screen, we see a body on a stretcher being loaded
onto an ambulance. There is a sheet over the body from head
to toe, yet there's no other indication this is even part of
the same story. Over this we hear a CRASH...
Mom jumps visibly, and turns to see the family dog, REGGIE,
standing up with paws on the counter, knocking down a plate
of something.
FATHER
Reggie, get out of those veggies!
Steve and Cleo both laugh at the rhyme.
He stands to tend to the mess while the dog leaves the scene
of the crime. On his way past his wife, he lays a hand on her
shoulder but the act is so subtle as to go unnoticed.
Over this, we hear the loud bray of a truck's HORN.
CUT TO:
INT. CLEO'S ROOM -- NIGHT
Her eyes snap open from the sound. It's the dream, again, but
this time no visuals survive. She blinks, and we see her
trying to remember.
She rises to an elbow and gropes around on her nightstand for
the TV remote. It's the light from the screen that eventually
lights her, as well. Resting on an elbow, she watches...
Cleo's POV: an infomercial about real estate. The sound is
muted. She flips the channel and sees David Bowie on stage,
circa 1973, with a big head of fuchsia hair.
EXT. FAMILY HOME - SAME NIGHT
Cleo ventures out into the silence of a sleeping street, just
her and the streetlights. She sits at the top of the steps
leading down to the sidewalk, restless and tired at the same
time. She looks down to...
...the grassy curb between sidewalk and street.
A moment of contemplation segues into...
EXT. GRASSY CURB -- DAY
The house next door. In sepia tones, we see a man come out
onto the porch in slow motion, leaping down the stairs and
running toward the street...
3 year-old Cleo, still laying on the grass, is watching the
street but is distracted by the sight of the man running.
Mom, on the porch, is running down the porch steps, and her
face is suddenly frozen in horror as she realizes what's
happened. The sound of the truck's horn blaring is distant
and dull, as if heard from a great distance.
EXT. FAMILY HOME/PORCH -- NIGHT
Cleo turns her head to look at the same general space where
her mom was standing on that day. In the process of turning
back to face front, she notices....
CUT TO:
EXT. FAMILY HOME/SIDEWALK -- DAY
Too fast for us to see, an image of a woman walking a
Malamute puppy flashes by.
CUT TO:
EXT. FAMILY HOME/PORCH -- NIGHT
Cleo's POV: a man out walking his dog. He comes to a stop at
the corner across the street and stands under a streetlight.
He glances in either direction, and then crosses in the
direction heading away from her. She never sees his face.
CUT TO:
INT. FATHER'S STUDY -- NEXT DAY
We see the record sleeve for Bowie's album "Heroes" leaning
against a long line of other records. The music we hear is
called "A Sense of Doubt".
The record spins on it's wheel.
Cleo is looking at the back of a different record. Behind
her, Father enters and goes to his desk.
FATHER
What're you up to, Lucy Magoo?
CLEO
Listening to your records.
Father takes a seat at the desk and puts on glasses, tending
to paperwork.
FATHER
David Bowie, huh? Rest in peace.
You finally decide to upgrade from
that stuff they play at school?
CLEO
I listen to everything. You know
that.
FATHER
You got that open mind from me, and
don't forget it. Bravery too, just
don't tell mom I said it or I'll
have to hide under the desk.
Cleo laughs.
CUT TO:
EXT. PORCH/SIDEWALK OF STANFORD'S HOUSE -- DAY
We follow ROGER STANFORD, an older man in a wheelchair, as he
rolls out of his front door and onto his porch. There he
sits, observing the street with no hurry in mind.
CLEO V.O.
How's work going?
FATHER V.O.
Too much of it, that's how it's
going. I was relieved when you
started out a biology major. You
can't take a laboratory home with
you at night. An accountant is not
so lucky. My laboratory fits in a
briefcase.
INT. FATHER'S STUDY -- DAY
FATHER
Speaking of nighttime, I want you
to start calling me to come and get
you from night classes.
CLEO
Why? Did Captain Crunch strike
again?
FATHER
I'm not laughing. Not until the
police get this murder business
sorted out.
CLEO
Was there another one since
yesterday?
EXT. PORCH/SIDEWALK OF STANFORD'S HOUSE -- DAY
Stanford idly watches a squad car roll up to the curb about a
hundred feet from his door and stop. The eyes narrow as...
A POLICEMAN gets out, a flier in hand, and approaches the
nearby telephone pole.
FATHER V.O.
Not that I've heard, but what I did
hear is that there are similarities
in the murders that seem to imply a
connection.
CLEO V.O.
Like what?
FATHER V.O.
They're not saying. Just
'similarities'.
CLEO V.O.
Mel has night classes, same as me.
FATHER V.O.
Yeah, well, I'm not yet willing to
trust Mel with my daughter's
safety. He might be a good kid and
all--
CLEO V.O.
He is a 'good kid', I promise.
INT. FATHER'S STUDY -- DAY
FATHER
I'm sure he is. Just humor me for a
few weeks, will you? Put your old
man's heart at ease? Call it a
favor if you must.
EXT. STANFORD'S HOUSE/SIDEWALK - DAY
Stanford rolls down a handicap ramp leading him to the
sidewalk. We watch him roll himself to the telephone pole.
New/higher angle: Stanford's POV: the artist's sketch we saw
on TV the day before.
Stanford reaches into his pocket and removes a pair of
glasses, putting them on. They match the pair worn by the
face in the sketch. In fact, Stanford looks much like the
sketch, himself.
As he rolls back inside his house, the door closes behind
him. The angle rises to show a address number carved into a
piece of wood that looks like a fish.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. UNIVERSITY CAMPUS -- DAY [STATIC]
INT. PSYCHOLOGY WING/OFFICE OF DR. MADDOX -- DAY
[Important note: Mel and Dr. Maddox wear different clothes in
the scene they share with Cleo than they do without her, to
signify different days.]
Mel appears in the doorway of Dr. Maddox's office...
Mel's POV: Dr. Maddox sits on the windowsill, smoking.
Noticing Mel, he clumsily throws whatever it is out the
window, exhaling.
Mel observes this, querulously.
CUT TO:
INT. CORRIDOR/COLLEGE CAMPUS -- DAY
Mel escorts Cleo down the corridor to the Psychology Office.
MEL
He's a little strange, but anybody
else wouldn't have done it for
free.
CLEO
Done what for free?
MEL
All I want you to do is keep an
open mind.
CLEO
Ok. And by 'a little strange' you
mean ...?
CUT TO:
INT. MADDOX'S OFFICE -- EARLIER
Mel sits before the desk of Dr. Maddox.
Mel's POV: Maddox randomly moves things around on his desk.
Getting comfortable, he first crosses one leg over the other
and then reverses to recross with the opposite leg.
INT. CORRIDOR/COLLEGE CAMPUS -- DAY
MEL
Well, I'm not sure, exactly.
Strange-eccentric, not strange
crazy. Just keep telling yourself
he's a professional. This is not
his first rodeo.
CLEO
And by 'rodeo' you mean...?
INT. MADDOX'S OFFICE -- EARLIER
MADDOX
Ok, I admit I'm intrigued. She'll
have to sign some kind of waiver
though. We'll call it an
experiment, since I don't actually
have a license. However, I do have
some experience with this.
MEL
A waiver? Could something go wrong?
Maddox appears to consider this possibility or how to
represent it, seeking counsel inside his head, which leaves
Mel to...
...shift uncomfortably in his seat, observing Maddox with
subtle dread. Glancing sideways, he sees...
Mel's POV: a anatomical model of a skeleton stands in his
blind-spot, wearing a Hawaiian lei, "Blues Brothers" shades,
a "Party Naked" t-shirt and Detroit Tigers cap.
INT. CORRIDOR/COLLEGE CAMPUS/MADDOX'S OFFICE -- DAY
Mel leads Cleo into Maddox's office.
Maddox is reading something on the screen of his laptop, the
lid of which he slaps down as Cleo and Mel enter.
MEL
Doctor Maddox? This is Cleo.
Cleo has noticed the furtive movements, smiling incredulously
as she shakes Maddox's hand.
MADDOX
Pleased to meet you, Cleo. I'm ...
well, what he said. Come right in,
nice to see you, and all that. Have
a seat. Let's get started.
CLEO
What are we starting, exactly?
MADDOX
(To Mel)
You didn't--
MEL
Dr. Maddox, here, can hypnotize you
... if you want.
Maddox, seeing Cleo is being asked for the first time,
glances at Mel, slightly confused.
MADDOX
I don't know if I--
Cleo, resolved, takes her jacket off.
CLEO
No. It's OK. Let's do it.
Both men are taken aback.
MEL
You know what you're doing, right,
Doc?
MADDOX
I know what I'm doing. I'm just not
licensed to hypnotize people. I
will need you to sign a waiver,
however, if we continue.
Cleo turns, looking down at a sofa buried in books and
magazines and student's papers. From there, her eyes rise to
the skeleton in the t-shirt. Her reaction is much the same as
Mel's, the day before.
MADDOX (CONT'D)
Let me move some of ... well, all
of it, out of the way.
He does so. During his distraction, Cleo and Mel exchange a
look of "Are you sure?"
Mel goes from this, to...
Mel's POV: the skeleton has a pipe hanging out of his mouth,
unlike yesterday.
Mel does a double-take, but isn't sure what's different about
the skeleton.
CLEO
Where's that waiver?
Mel sees it laying in the printer tray and hands it to Cleo,
who glances at it, speed reading.
MEL
Maybe we should lock the outer
door. Is anyone usually here around
this time but you?
MADDOX
(Considering)
I can find out from Kathy. She'd
know.
Maddox exits and Mel steps over to the computer on the desk
and lifts the lid.
Mel's POV: 3 internet windows are open: the top is a template
for a downloadable waiver agreement. Sliding that one aside,
he sees a Wikipedia page for "hypnotism".
Mel appears crestfallen.
Mel's POV: sliding aside the Wiki page, he sees the third is
a page from Bing Images. Five hundred pictures of Bozo the
Clown.
Mel's impression mimics a confused dog.
Quickly, he slaps down the lid and slides back to where he
was standing. He even has the same stance just as Maddox
comes back in, and shuts the door.
MADDOX (CONT'D)
I can close my door but another
professor is going to be in tonight
to teach a class, so he's going to
need his office.
Maddox shuts the door. Cleo is trying to get comfortable on
the couch.
MADDOX (CONT'D)
Cleo, go ahead and lie down. Mel,
I've got to ask that you remain
completely quiet during this.
Maddox pulls up a chair for Mel, who takes a seat. He takes a
seat in a chair adjacent to her. He reaches into his pocket
and removes a crystal that shimmers as it catches the light.
MADDOX (CONT'D)
I want you to stare at this
crystal, Cleo, and I'm going to
count backward from 100. Slowly,
you will begin to feel yourself
growing drowsy. Your lids will grow
heavy by the count of 80, and by 60
they will close completely. By 40,
my voice will begin to grow dimmer,
and by 20 you will begin to
remember your childhood bedroom.
By 0, you will be able to vividly
describe the way it looked, down to
the finest detail.
CLEO
I slept in it last night.
MADDOX
But does it still look exactly the
same as it did when you were three
years old?
CLEO
No. It couldn't have.
MADDOX
And you don't now remember what it
looked like when you were three
years old, do you?
CLEO
Not enough to describe to the last
detail, but of course I've seen
myself in pictures from the time.
MADDOX
Are you ready to go there now?
Cleo's POV: Maddox holds up the crystal, which shimmers as he
gradually tilts it back and forth.
CLEO
First tell me why you have a
skeleton hanging out in your office
when you're not a medical doctor?
MADDOX
I need someone to bounce ideas off
of.
Cleo, seeing he's dead serious, lies back with no further
faith than before, but still remains game.
MADDOX (CONT'D)
I'm going to begin counting, Cleo,
from 100 ... 99 ... 98 ...
Cleo watches the crystal, and by 60, her eyes are closing.
A quick flash of a backyard Barbecue with a banner we can't
read comes and goes in a blink, followed by other images from
different times. Photographs begin to change like someone
demonstrating a flip book. All childhood images. Also, bits
of film from various memorable events.
This is nothing too deep, but gradually, the spastic nature
of the images begins to slow in place, then speed up again,
then slow. Over this, we hear Maddox counting. By 20, we are
in...
INT. CLEO'S BEDROOM/3 YEARS OLD -- DAY
Cleo, at 3, looks at "us" from the center of the bedroom,
toys strewn everywhere. The shot lingers for 10 seconds, as
Maddox's voice grows to its most distant. As it fades
completely, YOUNG CLEO begins to reach the limit of her
attention span. She goes to the window and looks outside,
seeing something that seems to make her happy. She runs out
of the room, but descends the stairs slowly, determinedly,
holding the rail tightly.
At the bottom of the stairs, she runs for the door, opens it
and runs outside.
CUT TO:
INT. MADDOX'S OFFICE -- DAY
Maddox is concentrated on what he's doing, Mel looking over
his shoulder. Both watching...
POV: Cleo's brow creases.
EXT. FAMILY HOME/PORCH -- DAY
Cleo, on the porch, gazes jubilantly at...
Cleo's POV/panning shot: coming down the adjacent street is
an ice cream truck. Her perspective lingers and then
continues right, landing on MOM, who's ironing. She turns to
see her daughter, then follows what must be Cleo's pointing
finger.
Cleo's lips move without emitting sound.
CLEO
(Pointing)
Mom! Ice cream!
Mom nods, and turns to look down at her pants pocket. She
pulls out a $5. As she raises her head again to look at
Cleo...
Mom's POV: Cleo is halfway down the stairs. Coming up the
sidewalk is a NEIGHBOR LADY walking a beautiful dog. A
Malamute? Beyond them, so is the a-foreseen truck.
INT. TRUCK -- DAY
The DRIVER sees no one in the road, so reaches over to a
small cooler, intending to grab lunch. For seconds at a time,
his eyes leave the road.
EXT. FAMILY HOME/SIDEWALK -- DAY
The neighbor lady stops as Cleo approaches. Cleo is overjoyed
to see the dog, probably with some familiarity. Perhaps it
licks her face.
We see a C.U. of the dog's leash held by the neighbor lady's
finger, not whole hand. The truck is coming up the street
from behind her.
Mom is waving down the ice cream man, descending the stairs.
INT. TRUCK -- DAY
With still no one in the truck's path, the driver makes a
final lunge for his cooler, and this time looks away too
long.
EXT. FAMILY HOME/SIDEWALK -- DAY
The neighbor lady is knelt down, holding the dog so Cleo can
play with it, but looking up at Cleo's mom, about to say hi
and wave as soon as Mom looks back her way. She isn't
expecting Cleo to make a grab for the leash, which she does.
In the second between leaving the neighbor lady's finger and
being grasped fully by Cleo, the dog breaks free and runs
into the street.
Neighbor Lady notices the truck coming, finally, and sees her
dog running in front of it. She doesn't expect Cleo to run
after the dog, and is off-balance, falling as Cleo clears the
reach of her grasp.
From the stairs, Mom is now fully aware that she has no
chance of stopping what's about to happen. She screams,
without sound. The music of the ice cream truck has now
reached it's pinnacle of volume.
The neighbor lady screams, too, without audio, and gets to
her feet clumsily. Behind her, from the front door of the
house next door, the NEIGHBOR bursts out and leaps to the
bottom of the steps.
INT. TRUCK -- DAY
The Driver secures his cooler and drags it over, finally
looking up to the street again, where he sees...
...a dog crossing the street dragging its leash. He stands on
his brakes.
EXT. FAMILY HOME/STREET -- DAY
The sound of the brakes SCREECHING distracts Cleo, and she
stops, looking to the grill bearing down on her.
We see a man's arm reach into frame and scoop up Cleo.
CUT TO:
INT. MADDOX'S OFFICE -- DAY
Cleo sits up with eyes wide open.
Maddox actually falls backward, off his chair. Mel moves in
closer.
Cleo is breathing hard, seeing the images fade yet trying to
hang onto them.
MEL
Are you ok?
Cleo nods, but has no words yet.
Maddox sets his chair back up and sits.
MADDOX
Are you--?
A rapping on the door cuts him off.
KATHY
You ok, Al?
MADDOX
Yes, sure. I just tripped.
Kathy accepts this.
CLEO
Why did I just wake up?
MADDOX
Because I didn't suggest that you
wouldn't. It's quite common to wake
up during hypnosis, unless the
hypnotist plants instructions
otherwise.
CLEO
(To Mel)
I was there. So was someone else.
Come on, we need to go. Thank you,
Doctor.
Cleo and Mel leave Maddox.
Walking past the skeleton on his way to his desk, he removes
the pipe from its mouth and puts it in his own.
MADDOX
(To the skeleton)
Told you I could do it.
CUT TO:
EXT. SIDEWALK -- DAY
Mel and Cleo walk along the sidewalk briskly.
MEL
Why can't you just ask your mom
about all this?
CLEO
Her and my dad are hiding
something. I think I have a right
to know.
MEL
So what exactly are you trying to
find?
CLEO
Someone saved my life and I want to
know who it was. I think I need to
thank them.
MEL
And you say this lady will know
him?
CLEO
She'll know something. She was
there. I want to know if someone
died to save my life.
MEL
Why wouldn't your Mom or Dad just
tell you that?
CLEO
That's our mystery, isn't it?
CUT TO:
EXT. MRS. BIRCH'S FRONT PORCH -- DAY
Mel and Cleo stand outside the door, waiting for it to open.
A young woman does so. This is LISA, Mrs. Birch's daughter.
LISA
Cleo? I don't believe my eyes! How
long has it been?
Lisa opens the screen door and embraces Cleo.
CLEO
Vacation Bible School. We gave
little kids lemonade and cookies.
Lisa laughs.
LISA
And we were less than ten years
older ourselves. Come in! Come in!
You have to see Mom.
Their voices disappear inside the house.
LISA (CONT'D)
Mom, look who's here!
The screen door closes behind them.
INT. MRS. BIRCH'S BACK PATIO -- DAY
MRS. BIRCH is in her seventies. She sits comfortably on a
lawn chair. Besides her sits a full grown Malamute.
MRS. BIRCH
Hypnotism, huh? Wow! I've always
wanted to see what that was like.
How was it?
CLEO
A little scary, to be honest. But
that was how I found out you were
there, walking your dog.
MRS. BIRCH
Oh, yes. That was Rascal. He was
such a sweetheart.
CLEO
So he didn't get hit by the truck?
MRS. BIRCH
Oh, no! He lived a long and happy
life. Lord, how he loved to chase
things. This one's Samson. He loves
his muh-muh, doesn't he?
The dog in some way to confirms this.
CLEO
Mrs. Birch, I woke up before I
could see who threw me to the curb
and saved my life.
Mrs. Birch grows darker, petting Samson.
MRS. BIRCH
He was a policeman. Lived across
the street from you guys. He was
home for his lunch hour and was
coming out to get in his squad car.
I'd noticed him while walking, but
then I got to you, and Rascal was
just as happy to see you as you
were to see him. Most days in
Summer, it was your daily
rendezvous. When I showed him the
leash before we stepped out, I'd
say, "let's go see Cleo? Wanna see
Cleo?"
CLEO
Did you know his name?
MRS. BIRCH
Sure; I knew everybody in the
neighborhood to some extent.
Roger ... Stanford. He and his wife
got a divorce and both moved away.
There were rumors he used to get
rough with her.
CLEO
Rumors?
MRS. BIRCH
Well, your mom said some of his co
workers had to show up in the
middle of the night, more than
once. I heard from the Dawsons,
next door to them, the Stanford's
were always yelling at each other;
him the loudest, of course. Kimmy
Dawson once told me after a fight,
Roger took off and she could hear
Angie crying. It was in the Spring:
too chilly to turn the air on yet,
too warm to keep the windows
closed. Good "sleeping" weather.
CLEO
So, you probably don't know where
they moved, huh?
MRS. BIRCH
You want to thank him for saving
your life.
CLEO
I would. Yes.
MRS. BIRCH
What'd your mama say about all
this?
MEL
I'd be the one to meet him first,
Mrs. Birch.
Cleo subtly shoots a glance at Mel that says, "Oh, really?"
MRS. BIRCH
That's probably a good idea.
Courteous, not suspicious, if you
put it across right.
CLEO
Why would we be suspicious?
MR. BIRCH and Lisa join the others on the back patio. Mr.
Birch is carrying hamburger patties on a plate in one hand
and a spatula in the other. Lisa follows him with a bag of
buns, cheese and some spices.
MR. BIRCH
Game time! Everybody take cover!
MRS. BIRCH
There's no way to stop him. Don't
even try.
MR. BIRCH
How do you kids want your burgers?
Cleo and Mel share a glance.
CLEO
Oh ... we wouldn't want to
impose...
MRS. BIRCH
Nonsense. You'll no sooner get out
of here without eating than you'll
get him to miss a Tigers game.
MR. BIRCH
I had a dream last night that
they're going to start winning
soon!
Lisa leaves her stuff by the grill and comes over to join her
mother and guests. In the background, we hear the game
playing.
LISA
What'd I miss? Hope it wasn't
classified.
MEL
We're trying to track down the
Stanford's that used to live across
from Cleo.
LISA
Penny was in my class, at least
until she went to live with her
grandparents.
CLEO
Why'd she do that?
LISA
I don't think I ever found out. We
weren't necessarily close or
anything.
Cleo looks to Mrs. Birch, whose disposition has darkened a
little more.
MRS. BIRCH
I never heard that one before.
Interesting.
Cleo can see that...
Mrs. Birch is lying.
LISA
I had the impression she didn't
have it so good at home. I would've
asked, not that it was any of my
business, but you don't necessarily
think of such things in the third
grade. In fact, I saw her a week or
so ago at Kroger.
No one sees Mrs. Birch's deepening sense of dread, this time,
but us.
LISA (CONT'D)
We exchanged numbers, but I haven't
called her and she hasn't called
me.
CLEO
Will you call her for me? Or I can.
I'm looking for her father.
LISA
I don't see why not. Why her
father?
As we see that Mrs. Birch's sense of concern has deepened
further, we hear Mr. Birch in the background.
MR. BIRCH
Hop-skippety!! That's a double!!
CLEO
He saved my life when I was about 3
or 4.
Lisa's eyebrows go up.
LISA
I hope you'll tell me that story
sometime.
Lisa pulls out her phone and calls Angie. Doing so, she
stands and wanders off to hold the conversation.
MRS. BIRCH
I sure am glad you came by today,
hon. It's been such a long time!
Cleo smiles and pats Mrs. Birch's hand.
MRS. BIRCH (CONT'D)
I'm just worried about you finding
this guy. I always had the feeling
Roger was a little ... unstable, if
you know what I mean.
MEL
You mean by the way he treated his
wife?
Mrs. Birch considers her answer carefully.
MRS. BIRCH
That was part of it. It's just ...
I don't know. Maybe the years have
mellowed him out some. I do hope
so, if you're planning to pay him a
visit.
CLEO
I'm only there to thank him. How
can I not try?
MRS. BIRCH
Just promise me you'll take your
friend with you. Mel, is it?
MEL
Yep.
CLEO
I'll be brief, say my piece, and
go.
Lisa returns, hanging up.
LISA
We're going to have coffee this
week sometime.
She says her father moved away for
years and then moved back here. He
lives over on the other side of
town.
MR. BIRCH
(In the background)
You bum! You want to go home early,
is that it?
Everyone cracks a grin or stifles a giggle at this, all
except Mrs. Birch.
MRS. BIRCH
He lost his legs.
Cleo's smile evaporates.
MRS. BIRCH (CONT'D)
He threw you out of the way. But
the truck hit him. Just on the
corner, but enough to drag him
under the tire.
Cleo's jaw drops. Everyone is dead serious now.
CUT TO:
EXT. THE STANFORD RESIDENCE -- DAY
We see ROGER STANFORD, dressed in his uniform, just about to
open his driver's door to get in when he looks backward and
sees...
Roger's POV: the truck coming down the street.
CUT TO:
EXT. MRS. BIRCH'S BACK PATIO -- DAY
Cleo blinks rapidly, not ready for this memory. It's passing
is so fast as to race a bullet.
MRS. BIRCH
I won't mince words, honey. Not
since you're going over there. That
man was as mean as a snake, and
that was before he was confined to
a wheelchair for the rest of his
life. Maybe some things are best
left where they lay.
Cleo's eyes reflect the heightened stakes of the situation,
but doesn't say anything.
MR. BIRCH
You-reka (Eureka)!! That's what I'm
talkin' about!
CUT TO:
EXT. STANFORD'S HOUSE/SIDEWALK
Mel and Cleo pull up in Cleo's car. Mel rides shotgun. They
both...
POV: eye the house.
MEL
I don't know about this.
CLEO
I'm not afraid. I come in peace.
He'll see that.
MEL
You don't know what he'll see if
he's unbalanced.
CLEO
Well, what do I say if you go up
first? Gee, Mr. Stanford, we
weren't sure it was safe? We
thought you might flip out?
MEL
You have your phone. Set up a text
and hit send if you need me.
CLEO
Ok, Roy Rogers.
Cleo gets out and walks up to the house.
CUT TO:
INT. STANFORD'S HOUSE -- DAY
Peeking through Venetian blinds...
Stanford's POV: watching Cleo approach.
EXT. STANFORD'S HOUSE/PORCH -- DAY
Cleo rings the doorbell, her eyes rising idly...
Cleo's POV: ...to the fish-shaped address sign above the
door.
Cleo jumps slightly when the door opens abruptly.
STANFORD
Not buyin' !
CLEO
Mr. Stanford, my name's Cleo Riley.
Do you remember me? I wanted to see
if I could talk to you.
The end of a cane comes into view and pushes the door open
all the way. In the shadows, Cleo can see a man wearing
glasses, confined to a wheelchair.
CLEO (CONT'D)
I don't know if--
STANFORD
I know you.
He fully rolls into view. With the sun going down over Cleo's
shoulder, he has to squint, tilting his head back a bit.
CLEO
You want me to move over?
STANFORD
No, no. I can't see you at all if
you stand in front of it. Come on
in.
He pushes open the screen door for her and Cleo takes it,
heading in.
CUT TO:
EXT. STANFORD'S STREET/CURB -- DAY
Mel sits behind the wheel now, parked a little further up the
street, near the curb. He's watching her in the rearview
mirror. He's not happy she's going inside.
MEL
Of course she is!
CUT TO:
INT. STANFORD'S HOUSE/KITCHEN -- EVENING
Stanford rolls into the kitchen, Cleo following.
STANFORD
Have a seat. You want some coffee,
or I got tea.
CLEO
Um, coffee would be great.
STANFORD
How d'you take it?
CLEO
Not picky. However you take yours.
STANFORD
Why?...We ain't the same.
Cleo blinks, not having meant offense.
CLEO
I'm ... sorry. I didn't--
STANFORD
Two sugars, I bet. I drink mine
black. Nobody wants my coffee
black, I can assure you. I wouldn't
let my worst enemy drink it, and
you are far from that. Now, creamer
... that's a tough one. I'd bet my
last quarter you've got a sweet
tooth, but it doesn't look like you
let it get the best of you.
Cleo chuckles politely.
CLEO
You're right. I never take cream,
but I do put in two Sweet n' Lows.
You nailed it.
Stanford turns the chair, with her coffee in hand, and brings
it to the table.
Cleo's POV: Stanford never makes eye contact, before turning
himself back to the counter to pour his own.
CLEO (CONT'D)
So I hear you used to be a cop.
Stanford freezes, this time, half-turning.
STANFORD
What do you mean?
Cleo feels herself caught in another verbal faux pa, lost for
words.
STANFORD (CONT'D)
My daughter told you how to find
me.
CLEO
Yes. She said she was going to call
you.
STANFORD
She did. She tell you I used to be
a cop, too?
CLEO
No, I mean, I already knew that--
STANFORD
And I'm askin' how?
CLEO
People remember you, Mr. Stanford.
I just asked around. A friend of
mine bumped into your daughter a
while back and they exchanged
numbers.
Stanford turns back to the table, his coffee in one hand. He
rolls forward.
STANFORD
I'm sorry if I seem gruff. They
changed my meds again. Makes me
sleep like crap. I just didn't
think anybody still remembered me.
That came as quite a shock. People
used to give me the stink-eye in
that neighborhood. I wasn't too sad
about leaving finally.
CLEO
Is it hard for cops? People tighten
up around you, keep you out of the
cliques.
STANFORD
Cops keep together. I always had
friends. You're not wrong, though.
You can't pull up behind someone in
a squad car without the person in
front of you getting nervous. They
drive slower; I was forever passing
people. It's a minor annoyance.
Was.
CLEO
Did you stop being a cop?
Stanford leans back, now eyeing her fully. The expression
might indicate a limit to his allowance for familiarity.
STANFORD
What do you do?
CLEO
I'm in college. Studying Political
Science.
STANFORD
What do you do with that degree? Go
to Washington?
CLEO
I could. I want to teach, at some
point.
STANFORD
Maybe run for office some day.
It isn't clear whether he's scoffing or enjoying the idea.
CLEO
I don't know, I guess. I just care
about government. It seems like
things don't get fixed fast enough.
STANFORD
Corruption.
Cleo seems uncertain how to respond.
STANFORD (CONT'D)
That's why. Too many people make
too much money from things not
working. People get into office and
then someone comes in with a big
suitcase full of cash. That would
give anyone pause. We can't help
it. None of us. Basic instincts:
self-preservation. And you need
money in this world to survive.
As long as that's the means to
survive, nothing will get fixed;
not completely. Wars. Millions of
people out of work if we don't have
one. McCain said we'd stay in Iraq
for 100 years. I don't blame him. I
don't blame any thief for doing
what they do. You gotta eat. Beg,
steal, or borrow, they say.
Cleo is lost in this rant.
STANFORD (CONT'D)
What's the most you would do to
survive?
CLEO
It depends.
STANFORD
On what?
CLEO
On whether my dying might save
somebody else.
STANFORD
Ah. A hero. Is that you?
CLEO
I don't know. I've never been in
the position to make that decision.
I think I would risk my life to
save someone, yes. I bet you had to
do that all the time as a cop.
STANFORD
You don't know anything about me,
Miss Cleo Riley from Baker Street.
You're not jaded enough by life to
feel evil standing behind you.
Looking over your shoulder.
CLEO
Are you evil?
STANFORD
I think all of us are, under the
right circumstances. Same basic
instincts. There were no Hallmark
stores at the dawn of man, but we
would damn sure kill the fool that
tried to steal our food.
All that fool wants to do is eat,
to keep breathing, but so do you.
If he eats your food, you might die
before you can find more. It's not
in our nature to just hand things
over because other people need
them. It's in us to be mean, it's
only the reasons that change.
CLEO
You gave your legs for me. Why?
Didn't you need them anymore?
Stanford is plainly deciding whether or not to be offended.
CUT TO:
EXT. STANFORD'S HOUSE/STREET -- NEAR DARK
Mel sees a set of headlights approaching in the rearview
mirror and watches a white van slow before pulling into
Stanford's driveway. His expression belies a desire to act
now.
INT. STANFORD'S HOUSE/KITCHEN -- NEAR DARK
STANFORD
I was a different person.
CLEO
Maybe so. But there's no way to
lose yourself completely. If it was
there once, it's still there now.
STANFORD
Confucius, are you? By college, no
less: that's impressive.
CLEO
You demonstrated you were good. Or
I wouldn't be sitting here today.
STANFORD
If I had to do it over again? I
don't know.
CLEO
That's fair. But you did do it when
it counted.
CUT TO:
EXT. FAMILY HOME/SIDEWALK -- DAY
3 year-old Cleo is rolling in the grass as Mom rushes up to
her.
The truck is stopped, askew in the street. Stanford lays
unconscious near the front end. Mrs. Birch (Neighbor Lady)
stands up, staring over the roof of the car next to them in
shock.
The Malamute puppy runs around the back of the truck,
practically leaping into Mrs. Birch's arms.
Mom covers Cleo's eyes and pulls her head in, belatedly
trying to get her daughter to un-see what has just happened
in front of her. She is sobbing with relief.
The Driver is out in the street, mortified by all that's
happened. He is joined by the guy who ran out of his house to
assist. They tend to Stanford for seconds, and then the
neighbor runs back into his house, presumably to call an
ambulance.
The last shot is Cleo, at her current age, watching all of
this from a position in the shadows of the porch steps.
CUT TO:
INT. STANFORD'S HOUSE/STREET -- NIGHT
STANFORD
I've done more than enough bad
since then to over-rule throwing
you from in front of a car. I used
up all my credit from that one.
A KNOCK at a side door to the house draws the attention of
both. Cleo jumps a little.
Without waiting for someone to answer, the side door opens
and a man in a white delivery outfit walks in almost like he
owns the place. He's near the stairs heading down to the
basement, backing in with a two-wheel hand-cart full of
boxes. He doesn't see either of the kitchen's occupants, who
both watch him.
DEVLIN
They didn't have those muffins you
like so much; said they'd be
getting a new shipment soon--
STANFORD
Meet Cleo! Cleo, meet Devlin. He
delivers my groceries.
Devlin stops, turning his head sharply to stare directly at
Cleo.
DEVLIN
You have company, I see. I can just
take this stuff downstairs.
STANFORD
Yeah, you do that, Dev. I'll be
down in a minute.
Devlin departs.
CLEO
I'm sorry. I'm taking up too much
of your time. I should probably go.
STANFORD
Conscience all clear, then?
CLEO
Nobody made me come here, Mr.
Stanford. I just didn't want you to
think the person you sacrificed so
much for is ungrateful. I owe every
day to what you did, and I just
wanted you to know that I know
that. I will never forget you, Mr.
Stanford.
STANFORD
No good deed goes unpunished, huh?
CLEO
Raking somebody's yard is a good
deed. I hope I'll be so lucky as to
save someone else's life someday,
under conditions where it all
depends on me. I would feel blessed
that God gave me that much power.
You're right about a lot of people
being bad, or evil. They tell
themselves they don't have any
choice, either. But you had a
choice. You could've just stood
there and watched me die. There was
no time to think. Nothing drove you
but instinct. Base instincts, just
like you said.
To me, you're a hero. Live a long
life, Mr. Stanford. Because of you,
I will.
She turns to the door but stops before leaving, turning back.
CLEO (CONT'D)
Thank you, Mr. Stanford, for every
good thing that lays ahead of me. I
owe you for every minute of it.
Cleo leaves, closing the door behind her. We hear the screen
door BANG finally.
Stanford watches the closed door for several seconds, then
turns away, thinking.
Behind him, we hear steps rapidly ascending the basement
stairs.
DEVLIN
(Agitated)
Who the hell was that?
STANFORD
Nobody.
DEVLIN
Yeah? Just someone you're letting
walk away with a good look at your
face. Why was she here in the first
place?
STANFORD
She's nothing to us. I'm telling
you not to worry about her.
Devlin is at the door, hand on the knob.
DEVLIN
You're not thinking--
STANFORD
Dev, look at me. I need to tell you
something and it can't wait--
Devlin stops and starts to turn back.
CUT TO:
EXT. STANFORD'S HOUSE/LAWN
Cleo is heading toward her car. From out of the shadows near
the porch steps, Mel emerges and catches up to her from
behind, nearly causing her to leap out of her skin.
CLEO
Jesus Lord, Mary and Joseph! Say
something first!
MEL
Sorry, sorry. What happened in
there?
They each hear a a GUNSHOT from inside the house and whirl
around. Fortunately, Mel grabs Cleo as she starts back to the
house.
CLEO
(Tearing up)
I think he just shot himself! We
have to call someone!
MEL
Call anybody you want, but not from
here. We're leaving. There's
nothing you can do if he did!
She refuses, nature insisting she try and help. He has to
grab her around the waist, lift her off the ground, and carry
her thrashing back to her car. As we watch them go, the angle
pans back to Stanford's house. After a beat, the same shot
tracks forward, "walking" alongside the house to the back.
Halfway there, we see someone running at full speed from the
back of the house; a woman, running as though her life
depends on it. She has huge strips of gray electrical tape
dangling from both wrists and both angles. We have a long
time to watch her go, to appreciate how desperate her
situation is. Finally, we come to the corner and turn it to
see an open back door through which she ran. When Stanford
emerges from the shadows inside, he is leaning on the cane we
saw earlier. Over his other shoulder is a gym bag. In his
free hand are Devlin's keys.
Watching her go for a second or two, he finally leaves,
satisfied with his observation of the woman's escape. We then
track him around the back of the house and around to the
driveway. We watch as he gets in the van, backs out, and
leaves frame left. We are left to stare at the empty street
for two more seconds before...
FADE OUT:
TITLE: "HEROES"
Roll credits to David Bowie's song "Heroes" in German.
