Room Page #4

OLD NICK (O.S.)

Here's the jeans.

MA (O.S.)

Thanks.

OLD NICK (O.S.)

The grapes were way too much, so I

got canned pears.

Jack can see Ma as she puts groceries away.

MA:

OK.

Now OLD NICK moves into view too. Forties, solidly built,

blue-collar:
a ordinary monster.

OLD NICK:

What's that? A birthday cake?

He cuts himself a piece and eats it in a few bites.

Ma starts getting undressed.

OLD NICK (CONT'D)

Shoulda told me, I'd have brought

him a present.

Jack twitches at this thrilling possibility.

Old Nick starts undressing too: like some dull marriage.

OLD NICK (CONT’D)

What's he now, four?

Jack, in the wardrobe, is all agog for Ma to correct him.

JACK:

(too low to be heard)

Five.

Sounds of the adults getting into bed. The lamp clicking off.

Then the familiar creaks of the bed. Jack doesn't know what

they mean but is troubled. He counts them under his breath.

(CONTINUED)

12 CONTINUED:
(2) 12

JACK (CONT’D)

One, two, three, four...

JACK (V.O.)

There's Room, then Outer Space,

then Heaven. Plant is real but not

trees. Spiders are real and one

time the mosquito that was sucking

my blood. But squirrels and dogs

are just TV, except Lucky my dog

that might be some day. Mountains

are too big to be real and the sea.

In the dark of the wardrobe, Jack is still counting.

JACK:

One twenty-eight, one twenty-

nine...

JACK (V.O.)

TV persons are flat and made of

colors with red mouths and clothes

instead of skin but me and you are

real. Old Nick I don't know if

he's real, maybe half? Green beans

are real and chocolate but not ice

cream.

The bedsprings are speeding up.

JACK:

Three hundred six, seven, eight -

A primal grunt from Old Nick. The creaking is done. Jack is

asleep at the bottom of the wardrobe.

Old Nick goes over to the TV and switches on sports.

MA:

Shh.

He turns down the volume. The sound of the sports broadcast

overlaps with the thud of the door closing. The wardrobe door

opens admitting the faint light of the L.E.D on the keypad.

We cut to a shot of Ma putting a sleeping Jack into the bed.

As she starts to climb in beside we pull back and crane up.

13 INT. ROOM - DAY 13

Next morning. Jack watches a nature programme on TV: time-

lapse photography of one glorious tree.

(CONTINUED)

13 CONTINUED:
13

Ma is using a needle and thread to take in Jack’s new, much-

too-big jeans. Jack finds a trodden cigarette butt under the

corner of the rug. Old Nick must have brought it in on his

shoe. Jack studies it.

TV NARRATOR (V.O.)

Fallen leaves decompose and return

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