Manifest a short screenplay by Kim Markou

Manifest©


by Kim Markou







Fade in.



Music up as full color, old grainy footage appears on the screen as opening credits roll. We see a young girl, around 4, holding a watering can. She runs around the yard holding the watering can, water splashing out everywhere. She is laughing and enjoying herself the entire time. Home video cam pans over to her mother, who is watching and smiling.



MOTHER

Water the flowers Chloe!



Close up of girl watering flowers.

cut to:



INT. CHLOE’S BEDROOM - NIGHT



BLACKNESS. Breathing. Stirring. We hear tossing and turning in bed. A faint, sleepy whine and then a gasp. CHLOE, now 17, sits up in bed, her face illuminated by the moonlight. She is disoriented and sweating. In the moonlight on the windowsill sits a dying plant in a homemade ceramic container.



CHLOE (V.O.)

They say guilt is one of the strongest

emotions, we, as humans, can feel…

Its also reported guilt can manifest itself

in various ways.



cut to:



INT. SCHOOL – HALLWAY - MORNING



CHLOE walks down a hallway. STUDENTS pass her, but don’t acknowledge her. CLOSE-UP of a handmade pep rally banner hanging on the wall. It sports the school colors and is very bright.



cut to:



INT. CLASSROOM – DAY



CHLOE sits at her desk doodling in her notebook. The classroom is full of STUDENTS. A TEACHER lectures, her voice is muted.



TEACHER

So with that in mind, what would you

consider to be Blake’s main objective

of the poem?



VARIOUS shots of students involved in the lesson. Two students raise their hands at the same time. The teacher picks one.



STUDENT

I think he wanted everyone to know about

the horrible working conditions the children

subjected to.



TEACHER

Yes. I would agree…



CLOSE UP of Chloe’s doodle. She’s been sitting there writing ‘My Life Is Shit’, making the letters darker and darker until she has just about gone through the paper. The words are surrounded by little pictures of dead plants growing out of piles of poop.



cut to:



INT. CHLOE’S HOUSE – KITCHEN – AFTERNOON



CHLOE’S MOTHER sits at the island, going through some papers.



MOTHER

I’m thinking of re-doing my picture for my

business cards.



Chloe does not respond. Her mother looks at her.



MOTHER

Anyway I was thinking since I have

to go and have them taken, why don’t you

go with me and we’ll have a portrait

done together – just the two of us.

(beat)

It’ll be fun. We can get our hair and

makeup done.

(beat)

You know… make it a whole day of

beauty kind of thing. Just the two

of us.



Chloe looks at her blankly before turning and leaving the room. Tears swell up in her mother’s eyes and she just shakes her head.



cut to:



INT. CHLOE’S HOUSE – HALLWAY - EVENING



CHLOE’S MOTHER knocks softly on her bedroom door. She waits a moment and knocks again. She reaches for the knob, but then hesitates. She turns and walks down the hallway.



cut to:



INT. CHLOE’S HOUSE – KITCHEN



CHLOE’S MOTHER is sitting at the kitchen table talking on the phone.



MOTHER

I guess she’s …well…I don’t know.

(beat)

She comes home everyday and

then she’s gone, you know, disappears

into her room.

(beat) (listens)

I know it’s a rough age but…

(beat)

I’m thinking of having her talk to someone

at school. I’ll give them a call.



cut to:





INT. SCHOOL - HALLWAY – AFTERNOON



CHLOE again walks down a hallway. STUDENTS pass her again, but don’t acknowledge her.



CHLOE (V.O.)

I don’t mind being alone.

(beat)

I guess it’s kind of my penance or

something.

(beat)

It’s what I deserve.



cut to:



INT. SCHOOL – CAFETERIA – AFTERNOON



CHLOE sits alone in the crowded room. STUDENTS eat and visit with each other as Chloe stares off into space. Her food sits untouched on the tray in front of her. She looks out the window with a blank look on her face.

cut to:



CHLOE’S DAYDREAM



CHLOE, 8, helps her MOTHER plant flowers in the front yard.



MOTHER

Aren’t they beautiful Chloe?



CHLOE

Yes. The red ones are my favorite!

(beat)

This one is for Daddy.



The mother smiles sadly as Chloe pats the earth around a newly planted flower.



cut back to:



CAFETERIA



CHLOE is jarred as a STUDENT bumps her in passing, whacking her in the head with his tray. She turns around and looks at him. The boy doesn’t acknowledge what he did and just keeps walking and talking to his FRIEND. Chloe looks around, but nobody has witnessed the injustice.

cut to:



INT. CHLOE’S HOUSE – AFTERNOON



CHLOE sits motionless on her bed, staring into space. An opened photo album rests on her lap. CLOSE UP of an older picture of her mother and father. Her mother is pregnant in the photo. Her father wears a police uniform. A tear rolls down Chloe’s cheek.



cut to:

INT. SCHOOL – HALLWAY – MORNING



CHLOE walks down the hall. She looks around with a bit of a confused expression. Things don’t look the same. She spots the pep rally banner and stops. She stands looking at it. The colors are muted and flickering in black and white.



(cont’d)

(cont’d)



THREE BULLIES walk past her. They take notice of her staring at the banner. Their POV shows the banner in bright colors. One of them nudges his friends and then, in a voice mimicking someone deaf says:



BULLY

(slowly)

P..E…P……R…A…L….L….Y.



His friends laugh and they walk away. Chloe turns and looks at them. Their color appears muted as well and also flicker on and off in black and white. Chloe looks up and down at all the kids passing. CLOSE-UPS of their faces as they react to her scrutiny. Some make brief comments like ‘weirdo’, ‘head case’, and ‘psycho’. One is heard saying ‘Take a picture already…’

cut to:



INT. CHLOE’S BEDROOM – NIGHT



CHLOE tosses and turns in her sleep.

cut to:



INT. CHLOE’S HOUSE – HALLWAY



CHLOE opens her bedroom door and walks down the hallway. She hears crying in another room and decides to investigate. She slowly makes her way toward her mother’s bedroom. The crying is louder now.



cut to:





INT. MOTHER’S BEDROOM



CHLOE’S MOTHER sits sobbing on her bed. She hears a creak in the floor outside her room. She stands and walks over to the door.

cut back to:



HALLWAY



CHLOE’S MOTHER opens the door to find CHLOE standing there.



MOTHER

Chloe? What is it? What’s wrong?



CHLOE begins to cry. Her mother immediately embraces her.



MOTHER

Oh baby. You can talk to me about

anything.



CHLOE

(through tears)

I’ve just been….

(beat)

I’ve been thinking about my dad

a lot lately.



A strange expression crosses her mother’s face.



MOTHER

You’re dad?

(beat)

Is that why you’ve been acting

so strangely?



CHLOE

I feel like he’s not here because of

me.



Her mother gently pushes her away so she can look her in the eyes.



MOTHER

Oh Chloe. Don’t EVER think that

is YOUR fault. EVER.



CHLOE

But he…



MOTHER

He made his own choices in life.

(beat)

We all make our own choices.



CHLOE

But if you didn’t have me then…



MOTHER

He’d still be gone.

She pulls Chloe close again.

MOTHER

He’s still be gone.

cut to:



CHLOE’S DREAM



INT. FUNERAL HOME



CHLOE walks slowly past MOURNERS all dressed in black and POLICE OFFICERS in full dress uniform. She approaches a large door. She turns and looks at the mourners, who are all watching her. She turns back to the door and opens it. Inside the door are so many flowers she cannot see past them. She begins pushing her way through the incredible array of flowers. Just when it seems she is at the end, she sees a coffin. She takes a step toward it, but then looks down to see she is stepping off into air. She falls screaming.



cut back to:



CHLOE’S ROOM



CHLOE wakes up frantically. She takes a moment and realizes where she is. She sits up in bed and looks around in the darkness. Things appear blurry to her. She looks over at the window and spots the dying plant. She gets up and swats it off the sill, causing it to crash to the floor.

cut to:





INT. CHLOE’S HOUSE – KITCHEN – NEXT MORNING



CHLOE’S MOTHER is bustling around the kitchen. She pours coffee into a travel mug and opens the fridge for milk. She calls up to Chloe.



MOTHER

CHLOE! It’s late! Get a move on!

I’m showing a house in forty minutes so

if you want a ride to school, you better get

down here!



cut to:

INT. CHLOE’S ROOM



CHLOE grabs clothes out of her closet. We see her in color, but her P.O.V. is completely black and white. VARIOUS SHOTS of items she is holding and looking at. She is panicked.

cut back to:



KITCHEN



CHLOE’S MOTHER growls, placing her briefcase on the counter and walks upstairs.



cut to:



INT. HOUSE – UPSTAIRS HALLWAY



CHLOE’S MOTHER walks sternly toward Chloe’s room. She opens the door saying:



MOTHER

Honestly Chloe I…



And she stops. A look of disbelief crosses her face.



cut to:



SHOT OF CHLOE’S ROOM – MOTHER’S P.O.V.



CHLOE stands in a sea of clothing. It is EVERYWHERE.





cut to:



INT. SCHOOL – HALLWAY – MORNING



CHLOE walks down the hallway. STUDENTS eye her up and down, some snickering quietly, others loudly, blatantly laughing. Her P.O.V. is completely black and white. All the sounds are not distinguishable. As she passes we see the students P.O.V. and it is full color.

cut to:

INT. SCHOOL - HALLWAY



TIGHT TO MEDIUM SHOT of CHLOE from behind as she passes students in the hall. She is wearing a RIDICULOUS outfit. NOTHING matches.



cut to:



INT. SCHOOL – COUNSELOR’S OFFICE – DAY



CHLOE sits across from the COUNSELOR. They look at each other. The counselor’s P.O.V. is bright and colorful. Chloe’s P.O.V. completely black and white. She tries to shake it off and is annoyed at having to be there.



COUNSELOR

Do you want to talk about anything?



CHLOE

No.



The counselor flips through some papers and then starts reading out loud.



COUNSELOR

Principal’s honor roll last three years…

school spirit squad last two…

art club, French club…

(beat)

Par le vu?



Chloe just looks at her.

COUNSELOR

My point here is you have been

active and social up until…



CHLOE

(interrupting)

Would it make you feel better if

I started a Facebook page?



COUNSELOR

Chloe this isn’t about making ME

feel better. It’s about helping YOU

to work through whatever’s going on.



Chloe stands and walks toward the door. She turns to the counselor.



CHLOE

There’s NOTHING going on.



Chloe opens the door and starts to walk out.



COUNSELOR

CHLOE.



Chloe stops, keeping her back to the woman.



COUNSELOR

It’s okay to feel like crap sometimes.

(beat)

That’s part of being a teenager.



Chloe, her eyes swelling with tears, turns to the woman.



CHLOE

How would you know?



COUNSELOR

Chloe I’ve lived that age…

I know….



CHLOE

You don’t know anything but a

few choice phrases they taught you.

(beat)

Well I know a thing or two.

(beat)

I know what’s what.



COUNSELOR

What do you know? Tell me.



CHLOE

I know he wanted to leave. He

wanted to quit. I heard him tell my

mother. But she told him ‘no. wait

until Chloe is out of school. We need

the insurance. She needs the insurance.



COUNSELOR

Who? What are you talking about?



Chloe starts crying.



CHLOE

Don’t you fucking listen?!!

( beat)

Jesus!

(beat)

I heard them. He was saying he had

a bad feeling, that it had been twenty

five years and that things were changing

and he just had a bad feeling.

(beat)

But he didn’t leave. He didn’t quit

because of me. If they didn’t have me,

he would have left and he’d be alive.



The counselor looks through her papers.



COUNSELOR

Chloe I’m a little confused here.

CHLOE

Really?!! So I guess….You’re NOT as

smart as you think and I AM as fucked up as

everyone around thinks I am.

(beat)

I’m an abscess! I’m pus!!!



Chloe runs out of the room. The counselor stands perplexed.



INT. CHLOE’S HOUSE – KITCHEN – MORNING



CHLOE, enters the kitchen carrying a folded note. She looks around for her mother and spots her mother’s briefcase on the counter. She carefully places the note deep within the briefcase. The phone rings. Chloe looks at it. The caller ID reads ‘high school’. Chloe looks to see if her mother is around. The answering machine picks up. After the beep, we hear the counselor leaving a message.



COUNSELOR

This is Miss Downing, Chloe’s counselor

at school. Please call me when you get a chance.

There’s something important I’d like to discuss

with you concerning Chloe and my meeting with

her yesterday.

(beat)

Please call me as soon as you get this message.



The answering machine beeps off as her MOTHER enters the kitchen. She looks at Chloe’s outfit, which again, does not match. But her mother bites her tongue and tries to make the best of it.

MOTHER

Good. You’re up… AND you’re

ready to go? Wonderful.

(beat)

Who called?



CHLOE

Telemarketer.



Her mother shoves a few papers in the briefcase as Chloe watches.



MOTHER

Okay, well, let’s hit the road. I’ve got a

showing and then a closing. Keep your fingers

crossed the Meerchek’s financing didn’t

fall through.



They leave the kitchen.

cut to:



INT. CAR – DRIVING – MORNING



CHLOE’ MOTHER drives and CHLOE sits quietly looking out the window. They stop at a stop sign. An ambulance with its lights on passes in front of them. Chloe’s mother blesses herself.



MOTHER

There but for the grace of God go you or I.



Chloe looks at her.

cut to:

EXT. SCHOOL – MORNING



CHLOE begins to exit the car.



MOTHER

(smiling)

Keep your fingers crossed for me!



CHLOE

Sure.



She gets out and shuts the door. She stands looking at the school. Her P.O.V. is still black and white. Her mother drives away. Chloe enters the school.



cut to:



INT. CHLOE’S HOUSE – MOTHER’S BATHROOM – AFTERNOON



CHLOE stands in front of the open medicine cabinet.



cut to:



INT. CHLOE’S HOUSE – BASEMENT – AFTERNOON



CHLOE walks down the stairs into the basement. She crosses the room to a toolbox and starts rifling through it. CLOSE-UP as she removes a plastic box of razor blades.



cut to:



INT. OFFICE BUILDING – CONFERENCE ROOM – DAY



CHLOE’S MOTHER is at the closing. In the room with her are TWO COUPLES and ANOTHER REAL ESTATE AGENT. They are all seated around a large table. Neat piles of papers sit ready to be signed. Chloe’s mother digs through her bag.



MOTHER

So I guess lighting all those candles

at church wasn’t wasting my time.

(beat)

We’re all here.



Everyone chuckles. She takes some papers out of her bad and Chloe’s note falls out. She picks it up, not sure of what it is, and unfolds it.



cut to:

INT. HOUSE – CHLOE’S ROOM – AFTERNOON



In slow motion. Dark music up. CHLOE enters carrying a prescription bottle and a razor blade. She draws her shade down.



cut back to:



INT. OFFICE



In slow motion. CHLOE’S MOTHER reads the note. A horrified look crosses her face. She drops the note and looks at the other people, whose smiles slowly turn to looks of concern. We see the other real estate agent mouth the words ‘Are you okay?’. Chloe’s mother digs for her car keys and upon finding them, runs out the door. The other real estate agent stands and runs toward the door calling M.O.S. to her. The two couples are confused.

cut back to:



INT. CHLOE’S BEDROOM



CHLOE sits down on her bed. She opens the photo album. She pours a handful of pills into her hand and washes them down with water from a water bottle on her nightstand.



cut to:

INT. CAR – DRIVING – DAY



CHLOE’S MOTHER frantically drives, weaving through traffic and honking. Tears flow down her cheeks as she yells to the other drivers.



MOTHER

Come on! Fucking move! Get out of the way!



cut back to:

CHLOE’S ROOM



CHLOE turns her arm so her palm is facing up. She looks at her arm. She takes the razor in the other hand and slowly starts to cut. She rolls her head back with a haunting look up. Everything is black and white except for the red blood dripping off her arm and onto the floor.



cut back to:



INT. CAR – DRIVEWAY



CHLOE’S MOTHER pulls into the drive and bolts out of the car. She runs to the front door.



cut back to:



CHLOE’S BEDROOM



CHLOE falls back onto the bed. She closes her eyes.



cut to:



MONTAGE OF SHOTS:



CHLOE watering flowers with her mother.



CHLOE walking through hallway at school.



CHLOE sitting in class looking out the window at the flowers.



CHLOE and HER MOTHER sitting in the car as the ambulance drove by. Chloe looking at her mother as she blesses herself.



The sound of the ambulance becomes louder and louder, taking over the music and moving into the present…



cut to:



EXT. SCHOOL – AFTERNOON



A groundskeeper plants flowers outside the school. Camera pans up to the window above him. Camera moves through the window into the office.



cut to:





INT. SCHOOL – COUNSELOR’S OFFICE



The COUNSELOR sits at her desk. Across from her sit CHLOE and HER MOTHER. Chloe wears a long sleeved shirt, but white bandages peek out just beyond the sleeves.

The counselor, mother, and Chloe are talking M.O.S. Soft music up.



CHLOE (V.O.)

After all of that, I discover out my father

is still alive. He had left my mother when

she was pregnant. I had never even met the man.



INSERT picture of CHLOE’S DAD in a cop bar surrounded by other cops.



CHLOE (V.O.)

(cont’d)

He is still a cop in Suffolk County somewhere

and had never remarried. Mom said he was a

HUGE drinker.



cut to:



INT. CHLOE’S HOUSE – HALLWAY



CLOSE-UP of a new, photographed portrait of Chloe and her mother hang on the wall. Camera travels through the front door outside.



cut to:



EXT. HOUSE – YARD – DAY



CHLOE and HER MOTHER plant flowers together.



cut to:



INT. HOUSE – CHLOE’S BEDROOM – NIGHT



CHLOE sleeps soundly. Camera pans to thriving plant in ceramic planter on her windowsill.



CHLOE (V.O.)

They say guilt is one of the strongest

emotions, we, as humans, can feel…

Its also reported guilt can manifest itself

in various ways.



Fade out.