Saturday, January 12, 2008

12. The Good Therapist - Eric











FADE IN:

PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL-INT.-DAY
Several technicians casually walk down a white, tiled floor. A cafeteria worker dressed in white pushes a cart full of steaming Styrofoam containers around a corner. JESSE lines up with the other residents and finally takes his tray. He heads back to his room where GARTH is waiting. Garth is a middle age man, with a shiny head and warm, wide smile. He’s wearing a white Izod shirt and black jeans with dress shoes.

GARTH
Normally, we're not supposed to have therapy during lunch.
But it’s your call and I’m here to help you anyway I can. The anti-depressants working?

JESSE (nodding in agreement and smiling)
Yeah. Yeah, the truth is I never felt better in my life.
I’ve never felt this good, and in control.

Garth smiles and motions for him to sit down. Jesse sits down, and hands Garth the extra Styrofoam container of food. They begin eating casually.

GARTH
That’s good. That’s real good. It’s all up here (pointing to his head).
Ninety-nine percent of life is just a mind game.
Positive thinking isn’t just a cliché. Look how much it’s helped you.

JESSE
Yeah, I feel like a completely different person.
I can’t even imagine why I wanted to kill myself now.
It all seems like some movie, or a dream.
You’ve really helped me to see I have control over my life.
I love that book Choice Theory you gave me.
It’s really deep, and at the same time it’s easy to read.

GARTH (nodding and smiling)
Right. I knew you would like it. It’s been three months and you’ve made so much progress.
You’re better than these other people here.
Because you’re trying to make a difference.
Okay, hey, I’ve got another meeting in four minutes so I have to wrap this up.
Now, I’m not setting you up here, but if you relapse,
if you have ANY negative thoughts, I want you to page me.
That’s not allowed either but I’ve talked to the other psych techs here,
and they’re going to let us do that. Okay man, I’ll see you tomorrow.

Jesse and Garth embrace momentarily and Jesse waves him off. Garth walks down the dimly lit corridor and slides his card through a sensor when he reaches the door. It dings open and he continues walking through the exit and around a corner.

EXT. ALLEY WAY-DAY
Two men approach Garth. They are dressed in dark suits. As they near him, the perimeter around them darkens. Garth’s face contorts, and then begins melting, as do the other two men. Flesh drips down their face to reveal a face full of boils and deep, red cuts. Their pupils have vanished, leaving solid white eyeballs.

MAN
I just don’t see why we finish him.
There’s no better time than now to crush his hopes.
Why don’t you leave him to despair and let him kill himself?

GARTH
Because Master says it’s not time. We have him where we need him for now.
He has a dark, deep energy that Master enjoys.
If we keep him alive, he will do greater works for us later.
He will spread his dark energy to others, and add to our Kingdom.
That’s what Master prophesied.

They both nod in agreement and then vanish, leaving behind a dark cloud.

FADE TO BLACK.

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