159. A Little Lower Than - Leslie

• FADE IN:


• EXT. HOLLYWOOD BLVD. - DAY


• THE VISITOR walks slowly along the sidewalk, occasionally stumbling onto the street then back onto the sidewalk as passing cars honk angrily.


• Her jeans are torn and filthy.


• She crosses her arms tightly against her stomach, shivering; her thin white tank top doing nothing to protect her from the elements.


• A pair of dirty wings protrude from her back, their once-white feathers dragging in the filth of the boulevard.


• She reaches out to passing pedestrians.


• THE VISITOR
• Please, help.


• People push past each other trying to steer clear of her.


• She trips on the polished black of the sidewalk, metallic stars and the names of Hollywood royalty staring up at her.


• She stumbles onto the street weaving in and out of traffic as cars slam on breaks and horns sound.


• Wandering down the center of the road, she tries to find a way back to the sidewalk.


• There is a break in the traffic, and she dashes to safety.


• She wanders up a side street and then into an alley, where a SCARRED MAN waits, leaning against a wall.


• SCARRED MAN
• 'Ello Love. Back for more?


• He leers at her.


• She holds her hand out.


• SCARRED MAN
• Oh no, no, you know how it works; first you give, then you receive.


• He tugs at his pants, then looks at her.


• SCARRED MAN
• Well, I'll make an exception; looks like you need it to get anything done. I know you're good for it.


• He smirks, pulling a leather case from his cargo pants.


• He carefully fills a syringe with a strangely glowing green liquid.


• She offers her arm, and he ties a tourniquet, finds her vein, then pushes the plunger, the liquid swirling into her body.


• Her eyes go wide.


• He cleans up, then tugs at his belt again.


• SCARRED MAN
• Your turn.


• She looks at him, then at the street, gagging, then starts running.


• The man lets out a yell and begins chasing her.


• She runs madly, wings straining to fly but unable to.


• Her feet fly back down the alley, down the street and into Hollywood boulevard.


• There is a squealing of tires and then a soft crunch as a hummer plows into her; wings explode into the air and drift over the street, spinning down onto the heads of stunned onlookers.


• FADE TO BLACK.

158. Fidelity - Leslie

• FADE IN:


• INT. THE SORRENTO - NIGHT


• The restaurant is packed and the buzz of conversation dominates the room while the sound of sizzling and metal clanking punctuates the flow of dialog.


• The tables are square and placed end to end in some spots, creating something of a Thanksgiving dining room atmosphere.


• LEE, TOM, and SETH sit at a small table.


• Lee and Tom sit beside each other, her hand in his.


• Seth sits across from them.


• LEE
• I think I'm going to order the spinach ricotta ravioli.


• TOM
• Really? You always get that.


• LEE
• You can't beat a winner.


• SETH
• Well, I'm going for the ravioli too, it sounds good.


• TOM
• Hmm, there are too many great options on the menu; I always take forever deciding here.


• LEE
• Well, honey, while you're deciding, I'm going to the little girl's room.


• Tom moves to make room for her and she slides out, walking away.


• He keeps scanning the menu.


• Seth watches idly as a small group makes its way to a table next to them.


• Tom stops scanning the menu as a woman from the group laughs.


• Seth freezes too, and they both scan the group; and there she is.


• ALICIA sits at the table, the center of the group's orbit.


• Seth looks over at Tom.


• TOM
• Am I crazy? Is that?


• SETH
• Yeah, it's her. It's been years. Burning Man right?


• TOM
• Yeah...Holy mother of Buddha on a pogo stick.


• SETH
• No kidding. Hey, here comes Lee.


• Tom snaps back to the menu, trying to focus.


• SETH
• Hey, she broke your heart.


• TOM
• I broke my heart, she didn't have much to do with it.


• SETH
• Whatever; she never realized how awesome you would have been for her.


• TOM
• Thanks for being a friend, but it was more nuanced than that. Anyway.


• Lee arrives back at the table.


• LEE
• Pick anything yet?


• TOM
• I think I'm going for the penne with goat cheese; I've never tried that before.


• Lee wrinkles her nose slightly.


• She turns, overhearing a conversation from the other table.


• ALICIA
• I'm stoked about next year. Did I tell you? Ok, so I'm going to be apprenticing with Wesson Daly, that nomadic artist? How amazing is that, right? It's brilliant. I'm going to meet up with his team in Turkey, and then we're traveling part of the Silk Road.


• Lee turns back to the guys.


• LEE
• Wow, that's brave of her. I couldn't do that. You know me Tom, I need my Starbucks and all the other little things that poor girl isn't going to have.


• TOM
• I could see myself doing something like that.


• LEE
• Really?


• He nods and she shrugs.


• Tom glances back at Alicia and watches her row of earrings pick up candle light.


• She turns laughing and her lip ring picks up the flicker of the tea lights at the center of the table.


• Seth catches his eye and shakes his head.


• He nods towards Lee and gives a thumbs up; then glances at Alicia and draws his finger across his throat.


• Tom nods.


• As he turns back, he sees Lee's purse under her chair.


• TOM
• Hey hun, let me grab your purse so you don't forget it.


• LEE
• See Seth? That's why I love him, he picks up on the little things, and besides, he knows how to appreciate a good cup of tea. How can you go wrong?


• SETH
• Exactly right, you lucky girl.


• LEE
• Just don't go having a midlife crisis on me, getting piercings, and running off to Burning Man or whatever.


• Seth grins and Tom self-consciously rubs a small, circular scar on his ear.


• He starts to glance back at Alicia, then stops.


• Lee pulls in close to him, her engagement ring sparkling.


• LEE
• I love you.


• TOM
• I love you too.


• SETH
• Save it for the bedroom you two.


• A waiter appears, hovering over the table.


• WAITER
• Your orders?


• FADE TO BLACK.

157. The Clam - Leslie

• FADE IN:


• INT. ANDROGYNOUS CLAM - DAY


• The Androgynous Clam is a small coffeeshop with two lofts that hang at different levels above the first floor of the shop.


• It is lit primarily with ship lamps and highlights paintings of the shops "founders"; clams dressed in 19th century garb staring, as much as clams can stare, officiously down on the patrons.


• TIM sits at a table crafted out of the curved hull of an old dinghy and sips a morracan pomegranate tea.


• He spins his wallet slowly on the wood surface.


• SEAN slides into the seat across from him.


• SEAN
• Talk.


• TIM
• Whoa, slow down there. How about you get something to drink?


• SEAN
• Spill.


• TIM
• You don't want to get a drink?


• Sean waves his hand in irritation.


• TIM
• Fine...I don't really even want to talk about it now; it seems silly.


• SEAN
• Well, you have a tendency to say silly things, but better to say them than do them. Now please, stop with the hedging.


• TIM
• It's Meghan.


• SEAN
• Is she ok?


• TIM
• She's fine, she's wonderful. I just keep wondering.


• SEAN
• Wondering? Good grief, it's like pulling proverbial teeth from some stupid proverbial little chicken.


• A barista walks past with two nose rings and an arm covered in tattoos.


• Tim follows her with his eyes.


• SEAN
• Hey! You're engaged; none of that.


• TIM
• See, it's not her as a person, it's the idea she represents I guess. Meghan was...too easy. There wasn't anything epic. See, that sounds ridiculous; I should be happy about that.


• SEAN
• Yeah, especially after Joyce. You really want something epic after her?


• TIM
• Took me four years to get over that. But everything feels less intense, less real. Meghan's so great, but we just felt right and that was it. But there's no fire and that scares me.


• SEAN
• Wow, dude. First, I sympathize, second...you really want another Joyce?


• TIM
• No, and I think maybe it's just a different type of love. But I want that depth of feeling.


• The barista sets up behind the bar and Tim steals another glance at her.


• Sean grabs Tim's wallet and pulls Meghan's picture out of it.


• In the picture, she stands on an Irish cliff, staring out over the ocean, skirt whipping around her legs and a pageboy cap over her dark hair.


• He grabs Tim's chin and pulls it towards the picture.


• Tim struggles.


• SEAN
• Brother, She may not give you heartburn, but she's the nomad you've been looking for all your life; and she loves you more than anyone else you've been with. And ok, so not all the little details are right. Are they ever?


• Tim pulls Sean's hand away from his chin.


• TIM
• Ok, ok.


• SEAN
• I'm not done.


• Tim spots MEGHAN standing by the door.


• Sean keeps talking.


• SEAN
• You'll find out that you appreciate her nuances so much more than the nuances you had on your little list.


• Tim looks at the waitress and then at the door and smiles.


• Meghan walks in and scans the tables.


• TIM
• Shhh.


• SEAN
• What? Don't you shhh me.


• TIM
• Shhh.


• Tim stands and walks away from the table towards Meghan.


• Sean sits stunned then turns and spots Meghan.


• Tim turns towards him slightly, nods, then grabs Meghan by from the waist.


• She recognizes his hands and sinks into him.


• He kisses her.


• MEGHAN
• Mmm, pomegranate.


• He waves to Sean then leads Meghan up the stairs to a more secluded loft.


• Sean turns back, bemused.


• He considers the still steaming cup of tea across the table from him.


• He grabs it and takes a sip.


• SEAN
• Oh, that is good.


• He takes a closer look at the barista.


• He looks up at the loft where Meghan and Tim sit, then back at the barista.


• SEAN
• Hello drama.


• He grins, stands up, and walks over to the bar.


• FADE TO BLACK.

156. Haiku Break (Nightscapes) - Leslie

• 1.
  I wandered through night
  Chased shining stars across fields
  Drank moonbeams and slept.


• 2.
  She runs in the dark
  Away from her day monsters
  Hides in mother night.
  


• 3.
  We sat on the train
  Traded glances in the dark
  Escaped together.

155. The Nominee - Leslie

• FADE IN:


• INT. GREEN ROOM - NIGHT


• SENATOR JOY KIM sits, her head down, tapping her feet.


• The sounds of a massive crowd outside penetrate the walls of the comfortable room.


• She stands, grabs a muffin and sits back down.


• She stares at the muffin, unable to eat it.


• The door opens and she looks up.


• BRANDON KIM walks in.


• BRANDON
• You ok?


• SENATOR KIM
• I'm not sure babe. We're here.


• BRANDON
• Yes, yes we are.


• He crouches next to her.


• SENATOR KIM
• You know, part of me didn't believe we'd be here.


• BRANDON
• Yeah, but we are; it's time to cross this bridge.


• SENATOR KIM
• It's funny, I thought I'd know what to do; I really don't.


• BRANDON
• That's ok. We'll figure it out. You fought to get here, don't you waver now. You ready?


• SENATOR KIM
• I guess so. Time to face the music. Mmmm, cliche.


• They both stand.


• She opens the door slightly and the cheering grows louder as the sound enters the room.


• BRANDON
• My wife, the nominee. Go kick butt.


• They both exhale and look at each other.


• Senator Kim nods and Brandon grins at her.


• She raises her fist and he taps it with his.


• TShe turns and any hesitation disappears as she strides across the backstage, pauses at the curtains, then walks out onto the stage as the cheers grow deafening.


• FADE TO BLACK.

154. The Collector - Leslie

• FADE IN:


• INT. SUBWAY CAR - DAY


• PAUL sits by the window of the subway car watching people rush past on the platform.


• Something in his peripheral vision grabs his attention and he turns to see what it is.


• A YOUNG BLACK WOMAN with big hoop earrings walks past with a t-shirt that declares "Green is the New Black."


• Paul catches her eye and nods his approval.


• She grins back.


• The train begins to move and she and the train keep pace for a moment.


• Paul places his hand against the window as if to reach out and touch her.


• A glow sparks around his fingers and traces down to his palm.


• He closes his hand into a fist and holds it tight.


• He pulls a small, leather pouch from the inside pocket of his blazer, and sticks his fist into the bag.


• He pulls his hand out and tightens the draw-string.


• INT. WINDOWLESS ROOM - NIGHT


• A door opens and Paul slips into the room, letting light steal in from outside the darkness before banishing it with a quick shove of the door.


• He knows the room well and makes his way to an antique cabinet on the far wall.


• He pulls the leather pouch from pocket and loosens it.


• A beam of amber light shines out of the back, illuminating a thin trickle of dust.


• He places it by the shelf on a small stand, and carefully opens the cabinet with a key he also removes from the blazer pocket.


• The open cabinet reveals rows of carefully folded vellum cubes that glow deep orange, illuminating Paul.


• The bottom shelf holds a stack of clean vellum.


• Paul removes a sheet and carefully folds it into a cube, leaving a small opening.


• He pulls the light source from the leather pouch, revealing a small orb swirling with marbleized light.


• Pushing it into the box, he holds it up, observing, then closes the paper cube.


• The light glows through the thin vellum and Paul uses the light to find the right shelf, labeled "subway moments.


• He places the box on the shelf, next to moments large and small; then smiling to himself, closes the cabinet, and leaves the dark room.


• FADE TO BLACK.

153. War Games - Leslie

• FADE IN:


• EXT. DESTROYED TOWN - DAY


• THE SOLDIER walks carefully through the town, crouching behind rubble every so often.


• The silence is total; he tries to move as quietly as possible.


• The silence is broken by the crack of gunfire and a bullet whizzing past him.


• He ducks behind a burned wall, and waits, scanning the opposite side of the street as bullets whiz down.


• He spots the ENEMY in a window of a standing building a little further down the street.


• He takes aim and fires.


• The Enemy slumps.


• The soldier carefully walks past the building, and continues down the street.


• The silence is deafening as he walks on.


• A bullet whizzes past him and he crouches behind a burned wall.


• He stares for a moment, then looks up; the same building is down the road from him, and the Enemy is crouched in the same window.


• He takes aim and fires, then walks on.


• He scans the town, then begins walking again.


• A bullet whizzes past and he doesn't even duck, he turns and fires, killing The Enemy again.


• He looks down and find that he is in front of the wall again.


• He crouches, pulls his knife, and places three notches in the wall, then walks on.


• He walks down the street, and when the firing starts, automatically turns at fires, then ducks down to notch the wall.


• There are over 15 notches now.


• He walks past and within seconds is repeating the cycle.


• He is exhausted and when the gunfire starts, he crouches to make another notch; there are several hundred notches now.


• He closes his eyes and pounds his fist into the wall, then stands, holding his arms wide, giving up.


• A bullet hits his body, then another and another.


• Relief fills his eyes; he falls, and the world goes black.


• EXT. DESTROYED TOWN - DAY


• THE SOLDIER walks carefully through the town, crouching behind rubble every so often.


• The silence is total; he tries to move as quietly as possible.


• The silence is broken by the crack of gunfire and a bullet whizzing past him.


• He ducks behind a burned wall, and waits, scanning the opposite side of the street as bullets whiz down.


• He looks at the wall, and sees the notches cut into it, and his eyes widen as everything floods back.


• He turns and slumps against the wall, his eyes void.


• FADE TO BLACK.