The Eagle and the Snake

By
Tim Kruse
1 INT. SMALL PUBLIC LIBRARY - 8 PM
In the Garrison Public Library, we see PAUL ADAMS slowly
walking down one of the aisles. As he walks, his hand grazes
the books on the shelves. He walks toward us and we see
that he has a blank look on his face, as if he isn’t
completely in reality.
PAUL (VO)
My name is Paul Adams. I am 24
years old and I work part-time at a
library. I’ve always loved the
smell of books. I used to like
reading them too. I wish I still
did. Nowadays I feel like an eagle
chained to a snake, unable to
spread my wings and fly away. I
don’t really know what I mean by
that. Maybe I do. What time is it?
As Paul checks his watch and reaches the end of the aisle, A
chubby teenager named JASON suddenly runs into him. Startled
by the interruption of his thoughts, Paul stares at Jason
with a look of annoyance.
PAUL
Hey Jason. What’s up?
JASON
Oh... hey. There’s a problem in the
computer lab. Can you help me out?
PAUL
Is Mr. Ornsby looking at porn
again?
JASON
No, it’s something different this
time.

PAUL
Okay.
Paul and Jason walk towards the computer lab.
DISS TO:
 2.

2 INT. COMPUTER LAB - 8:10 PM

They enter the computer lab and become startled when their
ears are blasted with loud heavy metal music.
PAUL
(yelling)
What the hell is going on?
Jason points to an ELDERLY WOMAN sitting at a computer with
her hands cuffing her ears.

PAUL
(yelling)
Why didn’t you just turn the
speakers off?

JASON
(yelling)
I tried, but it didn’t work for
some reason. I think its coming
from the speakers inside the
computer.

PAUL
(yelling)
Did you try turning off the
computer?

JASON
(pauses)
Oh.
Paul shakes his head at Jason and they both walk towards the
troublesome computer. Paul crouches down and turns off the
computer. While he is down there, something catches his eye.
He stands up and looks at Jason.
PAUL
Are you wearing water shoes?

JASON
Yeah. They’re pretty cool, right?
Comfortable too.
PAUL
(sarcastic)
Hmm. I might have to get me a pair.
JASON
These were kind of expensive.

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: 3.

PAUL
Oh.
Paul pats the elderly woman on the back.
PAUL
You can uncover your ears now, Mrs.
Patterson. The music stopped.
Looking visibly shaken, MRS. PATTERSON takes her hands off
her ears.

MRS. PATTERSON
Oh, thank you, dear. I am so sorry.
My grandson sent an ecard to my
emailing address and I thought,
"how nice of him", but when I
opened it, that horrible noise
started and...
Mrs. Patterson starts to cry loudly. Paul awkwardly tries to
comfort her.

PAUL
Come on. It’s over now. There
there. It’s okay.
MRS. PATTERSON
(voice shaking)
Why would my grandson send that to
me?
PAUL
Oh, I’m sure he meant well... My
shift is almost over. Do you need a
ride home?
MRS. PATTERSON
Oh thank you, dear. I would greatly
appreciate that.

DISS TO:

3 EXT. LIBRARY PARKING LOT - 8:45 PM

It is raining. Paul and Mrs. Patterson walk to Paul’s car.

He helps her in and they drive away.
DISS TO:
 4.

4 EXT. RURAL STREET - 8:55 PM

Paul and the elderly woman sit in silence as he drives to
her house. He pulls into her driveway.
MRS. PATTERSON
Thanks again, Paul.
PAUL
(embarassed)
No problem. Have a good night.

Mrs. Patterson walks to her front door and Paul backs out of
the driveway.
DISS TO:

5 INT. PAUL’S CAR - 9:10 PM

We see Paul behind the steering wheel with a sad look on his
face. He turns to a different station on the radio. (MUSIC:
"PIANO CONCERTO #23, 2ND MOVEMENT" BY MOZART)

PAUL (VO)
(quietly)
I try to be a good person. Is
there such a thing as karma?
Probably not. I wish I could help
myself. Or maybe someone could help
me. That would be nice. What do I
need help with? Maybe I’m too
pessimestic. I should look at the
good things in life. Where are
they? They’re all around me. I was
born into a loving family. I have
good friends. Still, I can’t help
but feel I am alone in this world.
DISS TO:

6 EXT. OUTSIDE PAUL’S HOUSE - 9:30 PM

Paul pulls into the driveway of his house in the
country. There are two other cars in the driveway. He gets
out of his car and walks into the house through the front
door.
DISS TO:
 5.

7 INT. PAUL’S HOUSE - 9:35 PM

In a dark living room, Paul’s roommates, CHRIS and EDDY, are
drinking beer and talking excitedly about something. Paul
enters the room.

EDDY
(belches)
Yeah man, the Illumanati controls
everything, but they do such a good
job of hiding it that no one sees
it!
CHRIS
I believe you, man. It makes so
much sense! Hey, this might be a
weird question, but do you believe
in the Devil?
EDDY
Yeah dude. I know the Devil exists.
PAUL
Hey guys.
CHRIS
Paul! Whats up, man? Do you want a
beer or something? There should be
a few left in the fridge.

PAUL
Thanks, but I have to wake up early
tomorrow so I’m probably just gonna
go to bed.

CHRIS
Damn. Okay. Are you sure? What are
you doing tomorrow?
PAUL
My sister is leaving for Indonesia
tomorrow for some study abroad
thing, so my parents are throwing a
goodbye party for her... Why is it
so dark in here?

CHRIS
Oh, I didn’t even notice it was
dark. Well have a good time. I
guess we’ll see you tomorrow night,
then.

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: 6.

PAUL
Yup. Night, guys.

EDDY
Later, Paul.
Paul goes to his room.
FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

8 EXT. OUTSIDE PAUL’S HOUSE - 6 AM

Paul opens the front door and walks to his car. He enters,
lights a cigarette, and backs out of the driveway.
DISS TO:

9 INT. PAUL’S CAR/HIGHWAY - 6:15 AM

We see Paul smoking a cigarette and listening to 90’s pop
music on the radio.
DISS TO:

10 EXT. OUTSIDE PARENTS HOUSE - 11:30 AM

Paul parks on the street across from his parents’ home. He
gets out of the car, puts out his cigarette, and walks to
the front door. Once he has composed himself, He knocks.
FADE OUT:
FADE IN:

11 INT. PARENTS’ HOUSE - 12 PM

Paul is sitting at the dinner table with his family. He is
next to his mom, GLORIA, and his brother-in-law, DEREK. His
sisters, CINDY and ANNIE, are sitting across the table.
Paul’s dad, LARRY, stands up and clears his throat.
LARRY
First, I want to thank you all for
coming. I know Cindy, here, really
appreciates your support. Well, it
looks like lunch is ready, so I’ll
say a quick prayer and then we can
dig in.

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: 7.

Everyone folds there hands and closes their eyes. (MUSIC:

"KEY" BY JAMES BLACKSHAW)

LARRY
Father in heaven, thank you for all
the blessings you have given us in
life. I know that you are with us
throughout it all. Please keep our
family safe and watch over Cindy as
she takes this journey to
unfamiliar places. Give her the
strength and courage to fight any
setbacks that might occur there.
We see Paul looking straight ahead with his eyes open. He
seems to be daydreaming.
LARRY
Also, Lord, I pray that you always
guide my family in the right
direction. Help them to see your
glory so that they may never stray
from your path. You are the light
that gives us strength and keeps us
happy. In your name we pray,
Amen... Let’s eat, shall we?

FADE OUT:
FADE IN:

12 EXT. PARENTS’ BACKYARD - 1:30 PM

Paul is sitting on the back porch with his sister, Annie,
and her husband, Derek. Their 2 year-old daughter, SARA, is
playing with play-doh in the grass.

DEREK
So Paul, how’s life? It’s been a
while since we’ve seen you.
PAUL
Life is okay. Still working at the
library.
ANNIE
So no luck getting any interviews?
PAUL
Nope. There isn’t much demand for
philosophy majors. And I haven’t
been very motivated either, to be
honest.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 8.

DEREK
That’s too bad, man. Hey did you
watch the World Cup? So awesome.
You still play soccer, right?

PAUL
Not since High School.
They sit in awkward silence for a few seconds.
PAUL
It looks like Sara is getting
bored.
Paul stands up and walks over to his neice and starts
playing with her.

DEREK
Hey Paul! Me and Annie are gonna go
inside for a little bit. Can you
watch Sara out here?
PAUL
Sure.
They go inside and Paul continues to play with the play-doh.
PAUL
What are ya doin, Sara? Are you
making a human?
SARA
Yes. I am making mommy and daddy.

PAUL
Oh yeah? Do you need my help with
anything?
SARA
Mmmmm... can you make Nana’s doggy?

PAUL
You want me to make Flappy?
SARA
Yes please.

Paul smiles and takes the play-doh in his hand. As he builds

the figure, he becomes a little dizzy. His vision blurs and
he falls to the ground. Suddenly, a long-forgotten memory
pops into his head.

DISS TO:
 9.

13 EXT. LARGE PRAIRE - 18 YEARS EARLIER

Paul is a child. He is sitting on the ground and playing
with mud. He forms the mud into a figure with his hands.
Paul sits and stares at the figure he made. (MUSIC: "SPEIGEL
IM SPEIGEL" BY ARVO PART)

FADE OUT:
FADE IN:

14 EXT. LARGE PRAIRE - 3 PM

Paul is lying on the ground. He suddenly wakes up and, after
a few seconds, gets up and looks around. He looks confused
and disoriented. He see’s a tall dark figure in the
distance standing next to a narrow creek. Paul sighs, and
walks toward the lone figure. As he gets closer, he realizes
that it is an OLD MAN with a grey beard and large black
eyebrows. He is wearing a tattered robe and leaning on
a gnarled, wooden stick.

OLD MAN
What are you doing here? How did
you get here?
PAUL
I was hoping you could tell me. I
woke up next to that rock over
there. This place is kind of
creepy.
OLD MAN
Yeah, I guess it is. Well, my camp
is just past those trees. Would
you like to come with me?
PAUL
Uh, sure I guess.

Paul and the old man start walking to the campsite.

PAUL
What’s your name by the way?

OLD MAN
You can call me Samuel.
PAUL
Oh okay. I’m Paul.

DISS TO:
 10.

15 EXT. CLEARING IN THE WOODS - 3:30 PM

Paul and SAMUEL arrive at the campsite and Samuel starts a
small fire. They sit across from each other around the fire.
SAMUEL
So, Paul, why are you here? Is
there something you want from me?
PAUL
Huh? What do you mean?

SAMUEL
Well, most of the people that come
here always need something. What
do you need?

PAUL
What do I need? I’m not sure... I
think more than anything I just
need to be happy again.
SAMUEL
Again? So you used to be happy?
PAUL
Yeah... Most children are happy,
though.

SAMUEL
Are they?
PAUL
I think so.

SAMUEL
Interesting.
CUT TO:

We suddenly see Paul lying on his back on a log, as if he is

in the office of a psychoanalyst. Samuel is wearing glasses
that are perched at the end of his nose and is writing in a
notebook. He is also wearing khakis and a nice sweater.
PAUL
I guess I am having trouble finding
meaning in my life. I look at other
people and the things that give
them meaning, whether it is a woman
or a career, and I feel like I have
nothing like that. I’ve tried to
determine the meaning of everything
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 11.

PAUL (cont’d)
around me and it always comes down
to me not knowing anything. Wait,
what’s going on? Why am I lying
down?

Samuel stops writing and looks up from his notebook.

SAMUEL
Huh? what are you talking about?

CUT TO:
Now Paul is again sitting across from Samuel around the
crackling fire. Samuel is back to wearing a robe. Paul
looks confused.

SAMUEL
The definitions of the world have
given you knowledge of life, but
you don’t know the origin of those
definitions so they become
meaningless.

PAUL
Yeah that sounds about right.
SAMUEL
And what made you believe that the
ignorance of the origin of things
directly translates to a
meaningless life?
PAUL
I don’t know. Science has showed us
that we are likely nothing more
than animals. It is most logical
to believe that our death is the
end of consciousness, the end of
life.

SAMUEL
You have been stripped of your
heaven by the cleverness of
others. They use their arbitrary
tools to define life. Their
theories become belief in others.
In pursuit of an outer truth, they
have ignored inner truth. They
have ignored the impact of their
cleverness.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 12.

PAUL
So you’re saying I rely too much on
the views of others? But doesn’t
rationality mean anything? Should
I be irrational because it would
make my life easier? Should I just
try to ignore the weightier issues
in life?
SAMUEL
Why is it irrational to stop
worrying over things you can’t
control? Are these definitions
helpful in your life? Perhaps you
wallow in self-pity because you are
afraid of life. You are more
comfortable in thinking about the
meaning of things and you are
afraid to do that which is
uncomfortable.
PAUL
Maybe you’re right. But it isn’t so
easy to just ignore these
things. I’ve always had trouble
relating to people. There are
things that I want to talk about
that don’t seem to interest
others. And even If I did find
someone I could relate to, we would
most likely come to an agreement
that we don’t know anything. And
then I’m back to where I started.
It’s like a cycle or something.

SAMUEL
And why are you so quick to dismiss
others? Each person has something
in them that will give you
heart. Are you so narcissistic
that you believe you know
everything? You say you don’t know
anything, but what you just said
proves that you don’t really
believe that. Your lack of
knowledge isn’t necessarily a bad
thing. What would life be if there
was no mystery?
PAUL
So I’m supposed to just accept life
as it is? I could try to make the
world a better place, but why would
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 13.

PAUL (cont’d)
it matter if that has no effect on
our ultimate fate?
SAMUEL
Where did that come from? You want
to be influential, but you think it
would be a meaningless
effort. Again, you think you know
everything. Must there be a reward
for helping others?

Paul quickly stands up.

PAUL
That’s not what I’m saying! I feel
like you twist my words to make me
out as a bad guy.
SAMUEL
What reason would I have to do
that? I am merely pointing out the
weakness of your logic. Perhaps you
see the inferiority in yourself and
that is what you’re really angry
about.
PAUL
Yeah, I guess. I don’t know... It
just seems like everything comes
back to accepting the mystery in
life, but it makes me uneasy.
SAMUEL
You take life too seriously. You
should try harder to enjoy it.
PAUL
That’s what everyone says. I would
if I could.

SAMUEL
You don’t think you can?
PAUL
No. I don’t know. It’s such a
simple idea to ’live life to the
fullest’. It’s like something you
read in a fortune cookie.
SAMUEL
So is it better if the wisdom you
gain is from obscure sources?
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 14.

SAMUEL (cont’d)
Simple wisdom is the best wisdom
because it is so simple.

PAUL
But life isn’t that simple. Life is
complex and ugly and difficult.
SAMUEL
Maybe you make it that way so you
can see yourself as complex.
PAUL
No. I don’t think so.

Samuel puts more wood on the fire. Suddenly, a young woman

with pale skin and jet black hair enters the clearing.
SAMUEL
Ah, hello Samantha. How are you
doing today?

SAMANTHA
I’m fine. Who’s this?
SAMUEL
Oh, sorry. This is Paul. He arrived
a couple hours ago. I think he will
be leaving soon.
PAUL
I will?

SAMANTHA
It looks like he could use some fun
before he leaves. So, Paul, do you
feel like dancing?

PAUL
Oh. I don’t know. I’m feeling kind
of tired..
SAMUEL
Come on, Paul. What could be the
harm in a little dancing?
PAUL
But we don’t have any music.
SAMUEL
Not a problem.
Samuel goes into the woods and comes back with a shiny
saxophone.

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: 15.

PAUL
You play the saxophone?
SAMUEL
Something wrong with the sax?

PAUL
No, no. You just seemed like a
violin kind of guy or something.
SAMUEL
I see.
Samuel starts to play an upbeat tune on his
saxophone. Samantha grabs Paul’s hands and they start
dancing.

PAUL (VO)
In that moment, all of my troubles
seemed to disappear. I was like a
leaf blowing in the wind. I became
a part of the moment, the eternal
now. I could feel the warmth of the
fire and the warm touch of a woman
as we danced like little children.
In the back of my mind, however, I
had the vague sense that something
wasn’t right. I became aware of the
temporality of it all.

Samantha suddenly lets go of Paul. Paul trips and falls

into a pit. He falls and falls and falls...
FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

16 INT. PAUL’S BEDROOM - 2:00 PM

Paul is lying in bed as his alarm clock goes off

incessantly. He finally wakes up and reaches to his
nightstand to turn off his alarm clock.
PAUL
So, it was just a dream. Makes
sense, I guess.
Paul gets out of bed and leaves his room.
CUT TO:
 16.

17 INT. PAUL’S HOUSE - 2:05 PM

Paul walks into the living room to find his roommates passed
out on the floor. Chris wakes up and looks at him groggily.
CHRIS
Hey, man. How was lunch with your
family?
PAUL
Oh, that was yesterday.

CHRIS
Whoa. Did I really sleep that long?
Chris looks at his watch.

CHRIS
No, it says here that it’s
saturday.
PAUL
What? That can’t be right. I
distinctly remember going to my
parents house.
CHRIS
Huh. I don’t know, man. Sounds like
you had a weird ass dream.

PAUL
A dream? Oh yeah. Now I remember. I
collapsed in the backyard and
then...

Paul takes his cell phone out of his pocket.

PAUL
Shit! 4 missed calls. I can’t
believe I missed the going away
party.
CHRIS
Yeah, sorry. That kind of sucks.
PAUL
(sighs)
Yup.
Paul dials a number on his phone and puts it to his ear.

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: 17.

PAUL
Hey, mom. I’m so sorry I missed
lunch today. I don’t know how, but
I think I slept for like 15 hours.

GLORIA (OS)
Your sister was pretty
disappointed, Paul. Didn’t you set
an alarm or something?
PAUL
Yeah, but I guess it didn’t wake me
up.
GLORIA (OS)
Well, Cindy is on her way to the
airport now. You should call her
before she gets on the plane.
PAUL
Yeah, okay. Um, would it be okay
if I came to your house now? I’d
like to talk to you and dad about
something.
GLORIA (OS)
Sure, honey. Is everything all
right?

PAUL
Yeah...
GLORIA
Try not to be too late. We have
church in the morning.
PAUL
Okay. See you later.
Paul gets off the phone and goes into the bathroom.

CUT TO:

18 INT. BATHROOM - 2:30

Paul stares at himself in the mirror. He turns on the faucet

and washes his face.
DISS TO:
 18.

19 EXT. OUTSIDE PAUL’S HOUSE - 3:00 PM

Paul steps out the front door and walks to his car. He turns
on the radio and drives down the street.
FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

20 INT. PARENTS’ HOUSE - 7:30 PM

There’s a knock at the front door. Gloria walks up to the

door, opens it, and let’s Paul inside.
PAUL
Hey, mom.

GLORIA
Hey, Paul. Is everything okay? You
said you wanted to talk?
PAUL
Yeah, I guess everything is sort of
okay. I don’t know. I’ve been
feeling kind of weird lately.
GLORIA
What do you mean?

PAUL
Can we sit down somewhere?
GLORIA
Oh, sure. Let’s go to the living
room. Would you like some coffee?
PAUL
Yes, please.

GLORIA
Milk, or no?
PAUL
Just a little bit.

Gloria goes off into the kitchen, and Paul walks toward the
dimly lit living room.
DISS TO:
 19.

21 INT. LIVING ROOM - 7:15 PM

Paul sits in silence and looks at pictures of the family on
the coffee table. His mom, Gloria, enters and sits down on
the chair next to him.

GLORIA
Here’s your coffee. Sorry, it’s not
very fresh.
PAUL
That’s okay. Where’s dad?
GLORIA
He got called in to work about a
half hour before you arrived. He
says to call him tomorrow if you
need anything.
PAUL
Oh, okay.
GLORIA
So... what’s up?
PAUL
I don’t really know where to begin.
GLORIA
You said you’ve been feeling weird?
PAUL
Yeah, I don’t know. I guess I just
feel like my life has been a crazy
mix of ups and downs, lately.
Sometimes I feel like I’m losing my
connection to reality. Not that
I’m going to go insane or anything
like that. It’s just... sometimes
I feel lost... and without any
sense of direction.
GLORIA
I’m kind of surprised to hear that.
Paul, you have so much talent. I
think you could do anything you
want in life.
PAUL
Thanks, mom. Although, I think you
might be overestimating my
abilities. It’s not really about
that, though. I don’t know. I guess
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 20.

PAUL (cont’d)
I’ve just been really anxious
because I don’t have any answers to
my problems. One minute, I’m
comforted by something I read or
experience, and then the next
minute I’m back to being the same
depressed person.
Gloria stares at the ground for a few seconds and thinks
deeply. Finally, she looks at Paul and sighs.

GLORIA
Sorry, I don’t know what to tell
you. I wish I did. Have you seen a
psychiatrist? Maybe you need some
medication.

PAUL
Yeah, maybe.
Paul takes a sip of his coffee and sits in silence for a few
seconds.

PAUL
Here I am, thinking about myself,
when my sister probably thinks I
don’t care about her.

GLORIA
You called her, didn’t you?
PAUL
No. I didn’t know what to say. To
be honest, I just don’t want to
deal with it. Sometimes I just want
to disappear.
Gloria looks at her son with concern. Suddenly, the phone in
the kitchen starts to ring. Gloria stands up and walks into
the kitchen. After a small amount of time, Gloria walks back
into the living room with a worried look on her face.
GLORIA
That was your father. Paul, can you
turn on the TV and turn it to
channel 55?
PAUL
Uh, sure. What’s wrong?
Paul’s mother looks like she’s on the verge of tears.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 21.

GLORIA
I think something might have
happened to Cindy.
PAUL
What?
Paul stands up, turns the TV on, and flips to the news
channel. We see the TV over Paul and Gloria’s shoulders.
NEWS ANCHOR
Sorry to interrupt the programming,
but we come to you with breaking
news. A JetBlue passenger plane on
its way to Indonesia has been
hijacked and is heading for the US
embassy in South Korea. US jet
fighters have been deployed and are
tailing the flight. Contact has not
been made with the hijackers, and
we are standing by for more
information.

Paul jumps put of his chair.

PAUL
Is that Cindy’s flight?!
GLORIA
I don’t know. They didn’t say the
flight number.
PAUL
Jeez. I hope Cindy is okay.

Gloria starts to cry. Paul hugs his mother.

PAUL
We don’t know if it’s Cindy’s
flight, Mom. I’m sure everything
will turn out okay.
GLORIA
How can you be sure?!
Paul and his mother stand in silence as they watch the TV
and wait for further news. Raindrops start to pitter-patter
on the windows.
PAUL
Looks like it’s raining.

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: 22.

GLORIA
Yeah. Can you let the dog in?
PAUL
Sure, mom. Try not to worry too
much.

Paul leaves the living room and we see Gloria staring at the
TV in a somewhat detached state.
DISS TO:

22 EXT. PARENTS’ BACKYARD - 8:00 PM

Paul opens the back door and walks outside. He doesn’t see
the dog, FLAPPY, anywhere. Eventually, He finds the dog
hiding under the deck.
PAUL
Hey, buddy. What are you doing down
there? It’s okay. It’s just a
little rain.

The dog comes out from underneath the deck and whimpers.
Paul hugs the dog and pets him.
PAUL
What’s wrong, Flap?

Suddenly, Paul bursts into tears. Flappy starts to lick his

face.
PAUL
Why do things have to be this way?
Is there no end to human suffering?
Sorry, buddy, I guess all animals
suffer. I just want to be happy and
for everything to be okay. God!
Look at me, thinking about myself,
while my sister is in danger. I
wish I could get out of my mind and
only think about others. Even now,
I’m thinking about my own wishes!
The dog whimpers.

PAUL
If only humans were like dogs. I
think life would be better that
way. Maybe it’s naive, but
sometimes I think we are cursed
with our consciousness.

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: 23.

Paul laughs to himself.

PAUL
Gah! I really disgust myself
sometimes.

Paul bows his head and closes his eyes.

PAUL
Please, God, don’t let Cindy die.
Please. Help me believe! Help me
believe that you can help. But most
of all, help Cindy! Please, God.
Please!
The backdoor opens and Gloria walks out onto the deck.

GLORIA
Paul, what are you still doing out
here? Come inside. You’re going to
catch a cold!
PAUL
Okay. Come on, buddy.
Paul and the dog walk inside.
DISS TO:

23 INT. LIVING ROOM - 8:30 PM

Paul and Gloria step into the living room and sit on the
couch.

GLORIA
Cindy called while you were in the
backyard.
PAUL
What? She did?! Is she okay? Was it
her flight?!
GLORIA
No, thank God. She called as soon
as she landed. She’s at an airport
in China right now.
PAUL
I should call her.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 24.

Paul walks into the kitchen. We see his mother sitting on

the sofa and watching the television. On the television,
there is video footage of a burning building with a large
cloud of smoke and debris spreading into the air.

GLORIA
Those poor people.
FADE TO BLACK: