| IN THE DARK: A 9/11 Tribute | ||
| (c) 2001 by Ross Anthony | ||
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After 9/11/01, as many Americans (and undoubtedly citizens of the world), I felt very sad. Shaken. In the days that followed, as the overall focus of the country seemed to shift, I still wasn't done mourning people I had never met. I wrote the following fictional account to lament. I much prefer writing pieces with uplifting themes; unfortunately, this one is only sad. I wanted to appreciate the loss, the tragedy, and mourn. The following short script is how I imagined what being in the first tower that day might have been like. Unquestionably, it's very sad. If you care to read it and mourn as well, I hope it at least inspires you to hug those you love a little harder. And if you're a human considering using weapons on other humans Ö I hope it encourages you to explore other means to your goal. IN THE DARK an original screenplay (C)2001 Ross Anthony CREDITS ROLL OVER INT. BOB'S HOUSE BOB grabbing his brief case, jumping in the car. EXT. TRAFFIC BOB beeping at traffic in a rush. Shots of people scurrying to work etc. INT. OFFICE BUILDING BOB darting into elevators already crowded with folks on their way to work. The elevator doors close. CUT TO: INT. OFFICE 94TH FLOOR A typical high rise office scene. People arriving to work, greeting each other. 8:40 on the clock near the coffee Mug. Workers with muffins etc. Flipping on their computers etc. Camera pans around and then behind two women at a desk. Sarah seated, BOSS leaning over. Huge window in the background. Amidst the many other conversations (from friendly bs, to business talk), we hear Sarah and new BOSS foremost. BOSS These are for Ralph's office, his is the one with all the stupid comics pasted on the door and... SARAH Ralph, comics. BOSS Right, just drop, don't read. Anyway, these are the insurance files that I'll need three copies of each. You remember where the copy machine is? SARAH Yes. BOSS Good, drop one of the three copies off with Jennings ... third cube from the copy door. If you get lost, ask. SARAH No problem. Triplicate, Jennings gets a copy. BOSS Third cube...... SARAH From the door got it. Thanks. BOSS Thank you. Oh, yeah, drop this in the vault in the box marked '1998 misc.' It's just there (points) and it's open now, you should drop this one first before they lock the door. SARAH Got it. BOSS takes off, Sarah finishes a note to herself then sighs, grabs the stack of files and walks toward the window. The camera angle changes to her front as if the camera is out of the window. Sarah stops in mid step. She freezes in fear, jaw down. The camera backs out of the window widening to see all the other bustling and the reflection of a commercial airliner glides across the pane. A huge sound echoes. EXT. DARKNESS Black for 30-45 seconds. Then coughing, BOB coughs himself conscious. BOB F*CK! (pause, angry confused) What the f*ck!? Pause, finishes coughing, BOB breaths heavy as he tries to orientate himself in a situation for which orientation is impossible. Sarah's faint whimpers can be heard. BOB Hey, hey! Hello? Hello? Silence, save for Sarah's whimpers. BOB Hey! Hey, I can hear you. What just happened? What the hell is happening here!? (This is the toughest BOB will be, he's really a mild mannered guy) Finally Sarah responds barely understandable through her broken breath. SARAH (between breaths) A plane. An airplane. BOB What? What? SARAH A plane. BOB (angry hurt, dealing with the adrenaline) A f*cking plane hit us? Hit the f*cking building. SARAH Yes (inhale) Yes (inhale) Yes. ...etc. BOB No f*cking way! That did not just happen. SARAH Yes (inhale) Yes (inhale) Yes (inhale). BOB Holy sh*t. Holy sh*t. SARAH Yes. Yes. A plane. A plane. The two repeat their refrains until they slip into a silence. BOB Okay, alright (sigh) Christ, a plane hit the building. Okay. (gathering his senses) alright. Relax BOB. Relax Silence 4 seconds. BOB Sh*t, I can't move. I can't move anything. Hey, hey can you move? SARAH I can move my arm. Uhm. Just my right arm. I can't feel my legs. BOB Jesus, my legs, I'm pinned. I'm pinned (starts to breath heavier). Jesus f*cking hell! What the f*ck is going on!?? SARAH BOB. BOB (lost his cool) I can't move! SARAH BOB... bob. BOB What! What!? SARAH BOB BOB, please (scared voice) calm down, BOB. Please calm down. You're scaring me BOB. BOB (sigh) I'm pinned. Oh, (cries a bit/calming) I'm sorry, I'm sorry I made you scared. I'm sorry. I just hate to be in small places. Jesus I can't see a thing. It's f*cking pitch black. SARAH I know. I know. BOB Can you see anything over there? SARAH No. Silence 3 seconds BOB How'd you know my name was BOB? Do I know you? SARAH I don't think so. I just heard you talking to yourself. (pause) I'm Sarah. BOB (calmer) Sarah. (pause) Okay okay, Sarah. I'm BOB and we're trapped here. ..in the dark... I think I blacked out.. how long do you think we've been trapped. SARAH I don't know bob, three hours? BOB Three hours!! My God! They should be coming up to find us then. They should be here. What's going on, why aren't they here now? Even if the elevators are out... how long can it take to climb 90 floors? SARAH What floor were you on BOB? BOB What do you mean? Same as you 98th SARAH I was on the 94th. BOB 94th? What? Why'd you climb up? SARAH I didn't. BOB Jesus, did I fall 4 stories? SARAH Bob (starts to weep) I think the building collapsed. BOB What? To the ground? SARAH (serenely through tears) I jumped in the safe. I saw the plane ram into the building just a few floors above. There was a terrible explosion. People were flying everywhere. The safe was open, we were doing transactions in there.. before..before the....(breath) ... so I ah crawled back into it. BOB The safe? SARAH Yes, the safe. BOB So are you in it now? SARAH I don't know. I don't think so. BOB How'd that happen? SARAH I was in there for a long time maybe an hour, there was a lot of smoke and heat... lots of heat. And then the most God awful sound...like God was moaning. I was laying on the floor, but then I lifted from the floor. Like in the elevator. My stomach got completely light, I'm sure we were falling, then I blacked out too. But I woke up an hour ago. I'm just guessing I was out for an hour. Silence 2 SARAH BOB? BOB Yeah? SARAH I just wanted to make sure you were still there. BOB Yeah. I'm here Sarah. I'm here. Silence 2 SARAH Thank you BOB. Silence 2 BOB Hey! Hey! Anybody else here!!! Silence 4 SARAH We might have to wait a while. How long do you think we might have to wait before they come? BOB Geeze, I don't know. ..uhm Sarah. It's a big building. A huge building... I hope they got out. There must be ten thousand people that work here. Can you imagine? Ten thousand people in here? God I hope they got out. SARAH I hope so too. But I don't know, I locked myself in the safe. BOB An hour you said. That's a long time. They should have gotten out. ninety floors even at a half a minute per floor... they should have gotten out. What floor did you say the plane hit? SARAH I don't know I thought it was just four or five floors above me, but that would have been, I mean, you're okay... BOB Okay? I'm pinned in the dark! SARAH I mean. BOB I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I know... that'd mean it must have been higher...maybe the 100th floor. God, 15 floors above. You think they could have gotten down? SARAH I don't know... maybe helicopters? BOB That's a lot of people for helicopters. Silence 3 BOB Anybody here?! Anybody! (angry/little losing it again) SARAH BOB. Please calm down. (pause) What do you do on the 98th? BOB Accounting. It's excruciating, boring work. Accounting. SARAH I'm a banker. BOB With Crumers? SARAH Yes. BOB You know a Dan Banson? SARAH (thinking) No, I don't think so. Crumers takes up four floors. Silence 1 BOB So how is it, do you like it? SARAH Banking? Sure, I don't mind it. I'm lucky the people I work with are great. BOB Yeah, that makes all the difference doesn't it? The people... Silence 3 SARAH Where do you work? BOB Davis. SARAH Oh, that's a big firm. BOB Yep. Was yesterday. Silence 3 BOB I think my face is bleeding. SARAH Is it bad? BOB I don't know, I can't see it. I can't touch it. I can't f*cking move. Silence 1 BOB Are you alright? You bleeding? SARAH I don't know. I don't want to think about it. BOB Well you sound fine. I'll assume you're fine. Silence 2 BOB So, Sarah right? SARAH Right. BOB You have a family? Married? Kids? SARAH Nope. Nope. Far from it. You? BOB Hmmm. That used to be a simple question. Well, I'll answer the easy one first. I have a daughter which I just adore. Kimmi, she's nine. (pause) I used to be a welder ... I welded things, made things, I thought I was pretty good. But Kimmi is by far the greatest thing I ever made. Makes the welding stuff look like junk. (pause) and the married thing. Yes and no. Yes I was, that produced Kimmi and a whole sh*tload of problems not related to Kimmi. Anyway, she left me... Peg did. Took off with the auto body guy ... I supposed I should have stuck with the welding huh? That was 4 years ago. Half of Kimmi's life ago. SARAH That's not so confusing. BOB I didn't get to the confusing part. Peg and the auto body guy, that lasted less than a year, but she didn't exactly come running back ... to make a long story short ... we started dating about six months ago. (laughs) I'm dating my ex-wife. SARAH How's it going? BOB Worse than our marriage, but the good part is we don't have to wake up together. ... sorry to get so personal. And the great part is, I get to see Kimmi, you know, as a family. Silence 1 SARAH Well that's a good thing then, right? For everybody. BOB Yeah, I suppose. (pause, shouts) Is there anybody out there!???? Silence 3 A faint tap can be heard. BOB Did you here that? SARAH Yeah ... someone's tapping. BOB Hello? TAPPER (taps once) BOB Why would a rescuer be tapping? SARAH Maybe we should tap back? BOB Can you hear us?! TAPPER (taps once) BOB Geeze if they can hear us, why should we tap? Who is that?!!!! TAPPER (taps once) BOB Okay okay, One tap for yes, two taps for no! Are you a rescuer? TAPPER (2 taps) Silence 3 SARAH They must be hurt pretty bad if they can't talk. BOB Do you have an injury to the mouth or something? TAPPER (1 tap) SARAH Are you able to move? TAPPER 2 taps SARAH Are you hurt bad? TAPPER 2 SARAH Can you hear us without shouting? I mean without us shouting? TAPPER 1 BOB Is there anyone else there with you? Silence 3 SARAH Okay, okay three taps for I don't know TAPPER 3 BOB So then there were three. Welcome to our cozy little corner of the rubble. TAPPER 1 SARAH Did you hear us talking about what happened? TAPPER 1 BOB Are you with Crumers? TAPPER 2 BOB Davis? TAPPER 2 SARAH Are you a woman? TAPPER 2 Silence 4 BOB (sighs) So sarah? How about you? Who's out there wondering where the hell you are? SARAH (sighs) My mom, my sister. My best friend Jake. Oh my God, they're probably worried sick. They know I work here. They must be watching this on the news. BOB I still can't freaking believe this, how can a plane hit a building!!!??? SARAH I don't know. BOB Was it a one of those single engine planes. SARAH No. BOB Then what? SARAH A commercial plane. BOB A passenger plane? SARAH Yes. BOB Oh my god. Silence 4 BOB Tapper? You there? TAPPER 1 BOB You got any kids? TAPPER 3 BOB I doubt that's an 'I don't know' SARAH Wife? TAPPER 1 Silence 2 SARAH BOB, we might not survive this. BOB Oh great, first I'm suppose to calm down, now I'm suppose to make friends with death. Silence 1 TAPPER 1 SARAH Tell me more about Kimmi. What was the last thing you guys did together? BOB (laughs) We played twister. SARAH Twister? BOB How old are you? SARAH 23 BOB That's so young. That's not fair. Sarah don't make friends with death ... you've got so much more life to have. At least, I made it through half my life. SARAH You, you're what 40? BOB 39 SARAH Why did you ask me my age, just then? BOB Because of the twister thing. It's a game from like the sixties and seventies. So, 23, that means you were born in 77. Geeze, 77, I was in high school, staying away from the hippies. (pause) anyway, Twister is a silly game, you put this matt out on the floor, it's got different color spots and there's a spinner telling you where to put you limbs, left hand yellow., (laughs) oh the irony. (pause) Anyway, the fun of it is that everybody gets twisted up in one mess and falls to the floor. Silence 3 SARAH Sounds like fun. Did Kimmi like it? BOB Oh she loves it. You know that game tapper? TAPPER 1 BOB So you must be over 30. TAPPER 1 BOB Over 40? TAPPER 1 BOB Over 50 TAPPER 1 BOB Over 60 TAPPER 2 BOB God she loved,... loves that game. We played so much that the matt got torn to shreds. We were using paper plates that we colored ourselves. She loves to color too. Kimmi, she loves that colored chalk. You know, the big sticks. We go to the library too, they've got a huge plaza there, a concrete plaza. Kimmi's as happy as a pig in mud. She can draw for hours there, gives me and Peg a chance to ... uhm tick each other off. (pause) Anyway, who's this Jack character? SARAH Jake. (pause) A good friend. You know, not a boyfriend. He'd do anything for me, but I don't know, he never seemed interested in me beyond that. BOB You? You like this guy? SARAH I guess so. BOB What kind of answer is that? You want to kiss him or not? SARAH That's rather personal. BOB What can be more personal than dying together. Silence 2 TAPPER 2 BOB You're right ... (sigh) I'm sorry, out of line. SARAH Yes, I'd love to kiss him. He's not like this handsome guy or anything, in fact, my friends mostly think he's like kind of... well, geeky ... they think. But they've never spent the kind of time I spent with him. He's just a big Teddy bear. He's over six foot and kind of large ... his belly I mean. BOB He like you? SARAH I don't know. TAPPER 1 SARAH Yes? BOB Tapper thinks he does like you. Or he thinks you know if he likes you. SARAH Yes again. He likes me... I mean I think he does, like me. BOB Maybe he's just afraid ... you're probably this gorgeous woman and he's afraid of rejection ... so why don't you make the first move? SARAH I don't know. I think there's a good chance all that is true... but, I suppose. Yes, I should of. I suppose I should have. Hey, Jake you big teddy bear. Kiss me! (pause tears) You big f*cking teddy bear why didn't you ever kiss me!???? Silence 4 BOB Hey now, miss 'calm down BOB' relax. .. You're the one who's getting out of here. Ain't that right Tapper? TAPPER 1 BOB I'm old, tapper's ancient .. but you... you're just a spry young lass with a Teddy Bear to kiss. SARAH Who are you kidding? I may be younger than you two, but that doesn't change the tragic fact that we're laying under the wreckage of the world trade center. It's a miracle we even survived. BOB That's right a miracle Sarah, if that can happen, then why can't they find us? SARAH Oh, I AM bleeding. BOB You sure? SARAH (crying) I can feel it dripping from my nose. Silence 1 BOB Hey, hey so, that's Jake, how about the sister? Older? Younger? Silence 3 SARAH Twin. ... Margaret. She hates that name. Margaret ... it's an old lady name. BOB No, no it ain't. (pause) That your wife's name tapper? TAPPER 2 BOB No it's not, see. SARAH (snickers) Anyway....we look the same... but she's my opposite. She really thinks Jake's a geek. But, God, I couldn't imagine. I couldn't even imagine life without her. Maggie, what will you do without me. I feel so guilty, she'll go insane. BOB Don't feel guilty. You're still alive. She's probably up there right now, diggin' her way down to you. Maggie and Jake side by side. SARAH Hmm and Peggy and Kimmi with her chalk. Silence 5 BOB How long have we been down here again? SARAH I don't know, I don't want to think about it. TAPPER 1 BOB 8 hours? SARAH I miss life. I miss the sun, the beach. BOB I miss Kimmi ... and Peg on our good days. SARAH I miss going to bookstores with Jake and fighting over clothes with my sister. BOB Oh yeah! Well, I miss chocolate ice cream. SARAH No ... vanilla pudding. BOB Oh, I love that stuff. I miss doughnuts and hot dogs and those apple muffins you get at Griffith's Café. SARAH I miss learning, and playing Frisbee with Jake's dog. I miss my mom! BOB I love my mom. I love my grandmother. I love Kimmi more than the sun itself. SARAH Life was so good. BOB Hey, you stop with the 'was' crap. SARAH I miss my childhood. Seems like everybody's always crying about their childhood these days... but I had a great one. BOB Well, compared to recent events, I'd have to say it was heaven, though I gotta admit, I did my share of moaning about it. (pause) Sh*t, I was a moaner. SARAH Who's with the 'was' now? BOB You think they'll put that on my grave? Here lies BOB -- moaner. TAPPER 1 BOB (laughs) Tapper's old, but he's got a sense of humor. SARAH I miss humor. (pause) Jake could get me laughing so hard my cheeks ached, my eyes watered. (sigh) Silence 5 BOB I'm a, I'm feeling a little faint Sarah. SARAH That's okay. Take a rest. Take a rest BOB. I'll be okay here with tapper. BOB I'm feeling a little faint. Fade to black. INT. HOSPITAL ROOM -- AFTERNOON The ominous black slowly eerily, meditatingly, warps, winds, spirals into piercingly white screen. Nothing but white for at least 5 seconds. The iris finally closes so that edges, then textures can be seen. A hospital room. We view the room through the eyes of the patient. The ceiling, the lights, the eq., the window... An older woman standing, hand on cheek, arms crossed, watching the news (NY live shot of the collapsed towers.) The patient coughs (rocking camera). The woman turns, tired eyes, worried, strong. MARY Billy, My God Billy! She steps toward the camera looking right into our faces, petting our foreheads. MARY Billy, Billy, (hurt-laughter) Look at you. Do you hear me? TAPPER (mumbles yes) The cam changes angles to reveal the survivor... it's Billy the Tapper. (We've never seen him before.) MARY I love you. TAPPER (mumble, only tones) I love you too. TAPPER's red sad eyes look to the TV as if to ask "What happened?" MARY (looking in his direction) Oh, My God Billy, you don't know. Close on TAPPER's eyes. DISSOLVE TO: INT. BILLY'S HOUSE (3 WEEKS LATER) A bandaged/bruised Billy hobbles slowly into the kitchen where Mary sits watching the news with a cup of coffee. MARY (stern/hurt) Bomb the f*ckers George, bomb 'em all to hell. Cam stays on Billy with raised eye brow, he's pulled out a plastic cup from the fridge and slurps up some juice through the straw. His mouth doesn't work very well. Mary glued to the TV, Billy hobbles to the closet, puts on a sweater and walks out onto the porch. MARY Billy? Billy? Billy hobbles out to the car, Mary comes to the screen door. MARY Billy? Where are you going? Billy turns with a smile and waves a calm finger (from a bandaged hand) as if to say, "Be back in a minute." Mary, arms crossed, worried, caring eyes watches, then turns her head back to the TV. EXT. PEG'S HOUSE Billy pulls up and steps out of the car. INT. BILLY'S HOUSE Mary taps a pen on the newspaper nervously, impatiently. Finally, she shuts off the TV, turns it back on, but walks into Billy's den, taps his pc's mouse... a list of the Tower's dead refreshes on screen. EXT. PEG'S HOUSE Billy hobbles on the porch looks down into a plastic bag he's carrying, takes a deep breath, then rings the bell. INT. BILLY'S HOUSE Mary finds a sheet of paper on the desk penciled, "Robert Shuler ...Peggy Shuler 1014 N. Oak. ... Sarah Rodriquez .. Margaret Rodriquez 214 Daiton." EXT. PEG'S HOUSE Peg comes to the door, Billy holds up a notepad, "I'm a friend of BOB's." Peg's eyes fill with tears and she gently hugs him. Billy closes his eyes hard in an effort to hold back ... it's in vain. Silence 3 Billy takes a few big sighs and opens his eyes looking down to the little girl holding her mom's leg and looking up with innocent eyes at Billy. Billy and Peg break the hug, Billy kneels down to take in this beautiful little girl. He smiles, opens the bag and pulls out the Twister game. EXT. MARGARET'S HOUSE -- DAY Billy hobbles up to Margaret's House. He sniffles and rings the bell. Margaret comes to the door. MARGARET Yes? Billy closes his eyes to hold back tears just at the site of her. She's beautiful. He hold's up his note: I'm a friend of Sarah's" Margaret reads it though the screen door. Her eyes immediately sadden. Billy studies her face through the door, as if putting it to Sarah's words. There's a pause then a big teddy bear of a guy comes to the door with Sarah and Margaret's mom, they're carrying photo albums. JAKE Who is it Margaret? Billy holds his note up again. Jake opens the screen door. JAKE Come on in. Would you like to join us? We're digging up old pictures and crying over Sarah. Billy nods, keeping his eyes connected with Margaret's, he finally turns to Jake, holds up his bandaged finger and slowly shakes it as if to say "You're more loved than you know." Fade to black FADE TO: Credits over: Peg, Kimmi and Billy sit on the front sidewalk drawing with color chalk. The End
Screenplay (C)2001 Ross Anthony Feel free to email this Link to a friend: www.rossanthony.com/essays/indark9-11.shtml
click here for OTHER ESSAYS by Ross Anthony click here for BOOKS by Ross Anthony ...and yes, this is a film review site. |
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Copyright © 2001. Ross Anthony, currently based in Los Angeles, has scripted and shot documentaries, music videos, and shorts in 35 countries across North America, Europe, Africa and Asia. For more reviews visit: RossAnthony.com |
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