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9:14
by Brandon McGrody (FlubdProd) (lord.turbine@mac.com)

Rated: PG   Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy   User Review: **
SHORT - When mild mannered yet time-stressed businessman Dirk Marks finds himself running late and racing to get into the elevator up to his office, he finds the elevator has plans of its own. Think Twilight Zone, only not as wierd.


This screenplay is copyrighted to its author. All rights reserved. This screenplay may not be used or reproduced without the express written permission of the author.



9:14

FADE IN:

INT. BUREAU OF INTELLIGENT MECHANICS - DAY
                                                            
Jump right in, begin with close-in shot of a LOUDSPEAKER on
the wall.
                                                            
                       LOUDSPEAKER (vo)
Good morning employees of the
Bureau of Intelligent Mechanics.
Please be wary on floor 6, as
construction continues on our R&D
department. Thank you, and enjoy
your day!
                                                            
                                         FADE TO BLACK TITLE
                                                            
Title is done in typewriter format. Center and underline
title (9:14). Very standard, modest, yet effective.
                                                            
                                         FADE BACK IN, TO
SCENE 2.
                                                            
 
INT. BUREAU OF INTELLIGENT MECHANICS - DAY
                                                            
Fade in from title. Open scene with same shot of
loudspeaker.
                                                            
                       LOUDSPEAKER (vo)
      (in background,
       almost inaudible)
Today is Tuesday, August 14th.
Thank you for coming to work.
Today is Tuesday, August 14th. Mr.
Boseman's son's birthday party has
closed the cafeteria for today.
Today is Tuesday, August 14th.
Thank you for coming to work....
                                                            
Switch to view of door. Elevator music begins playing. Dirk
shuffles through the door, obviously late. We zoom in on his
pocketwatch, as to avoid having to see the busy office
around him. We hear general murmuring in the background, to
emulate an office, as we watch time tick away. The camera
switches in on his face - he's a normal looking guy, with
normal features. Oh, and some stubble for extra measure.
Switch to his slacks, which move silently with every step -
Dirk is at a mild-jogging pace now, sort of run-walking. We
see his shoes. He sidesteps another person's feet, which

2.

come into view as well, and does a little spin move as to
avoid something, most probably spilling his coffee. Switch
to his face. He stops, and looks up. The music stops with
him.
                                                            
                       DIRK (vo)
      (calm, thinking)
Hmmm... hope I'm not late today.
Boseman says if I'm late once more
I lose my job. Can't have that,
can we?
                                                            
Turn the camera around, revealing - the elevator. Inspiring
music plays, as the camera turns up and around and watches
as Dirk stares into it.
                                                            
                       DIRK
      (Odd mood.)
Hmm... nerves...
      (elevator ding
       goes off in
       background, DIRK
       looks up,
       surprised)
Okay.
                                                            
 
INT. BUREAU OF INTELLIGENT MECHANICS - DAY
                                                            
Cut to DIRK's pocketwatch. 9:14.

DIRK suddenly looks frustrated.
                                                            
                       DIRK
      (slightly irked)
Hmm... swear it was 9:14 when I
walked in here, huh?
      (Dirk's eyes dart
       to the opening
       door.)
Well,
      (sighs)
here we go.
                                                            
As the elevator door closes, we hear the loudspeaker once
again, cheerfully warning the employees of Floor 6's repair.
When the elevator door closes, end scene, no fade.
                                                            
                                         END SCENE - TO THE
CONFLICT!
                                                            
 

3.

INT. ELEVATOR - DAY
                                                            
Dirk's eyes dart to the LED panel on the wall. We hear light
music playing in the background. We hear a whirring, as the
elevator revs. Camera switch to Dirk's finger. It moves
forward to press the button, and we hear a ding, as to avoid
seeing the button itself.
                                                            
                       DIRK
      (starts tapping
       his foot rapidly)
Okay, floor 19. Should be nice,
Boseman won't yell at me, my
nerves'll calm down. No more
coffee.
      (notices his foot
       - camera shoots
       down to it)
Oh, heh heh.... nerves!
      (chuckles)
                                                            
We hear a whirring, as the elevator goes up. Cut to the LED
panel. It changes from 1, to 2, to 3, to 4... as it does, we
hear DIRK humming along to the music - it doesn't bother him
too much, as it does most days. However, as the elevator
approaches 5, a foreboding sound begins to overpower Dirk
and the music in the background. The panel changes from 5 to
6, then back again, then once more. It flashes, and then
turns off. The elevator suddenly stops. The lights cut, and
the whirring stops, however, the music gets louder. Cut to
Dirk, who is a mix of angry and worried.
                                                            
                       DIRK
      (worried)
What now? Oh... the power is out,
isn't it?
      (teeth chattering)
Okay, Dirk, contain yourself - oh
DAMN I-
      (angry at himself)
Dirk Marks! You said that the
medicine would kill that! Would
control your nerves! Keep a hold
of yourself, there's no time for
this, the power's out and I'm
going to be late again!
      (confused)
Wait...
      (begins to pace)
If the power's out, then why is
the music still playing? Okay,
what floor did it say before I...
wait... did it say -
                                                            

4.

Dirk is rudely interrupted by the intercom. Apparently, it's
playing in the elevator now.
                                                            
                       LOUDSPEAKER
      (scared, worried,
       jumpy, out of
       control, slighly
       yelling, sounds
       mad [crazy mad])
Uh... a-attention all employees of
the Bureau of Intelligent
Mech-mechanics. Pu-..please stay
off of Floor Suh... six. Th-thank
you! W...wait... no, no, I told
you.
      (begins to cut off)
I warned you! N..n-no, you can't
do this! Please! No!
                                                            
The intercom shuts off with a loud electronic zap, and the
music continues, getting louder still! We hear a ticking -
Dirk's pocketwatch. The foreboding sound looms in again, and
we hear a loud series of screams (stock) from outside the
elevator. Camera cuts from the wall to Dirk's face. It's
horribly frightened. He backs himself into the corner,
fearing death or horrible dismemberment.
                                                            
                       DIRK
Oh my God oh my God oh my God no
no nonnononononono.... this... oh
my God... I'm running out of time,
I'm not supposed to be late today.
      (loses it)
NO! I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO BE LATE
TODAY! I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ON
TIME! WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!?!?
                                                            
We hear more screams, and more music, as the tension builds.
And suddenly, the camera switches to Dirk's pocket. All goes
quiet, suddenly still. And we hear... a ticking.
                                                            
                       DIRK
What.... my pocketwatch.
                                                            
Dirk takes out his pocketwatch, and pulls it up to his face.
We see his face in shock and horror as the camera turns to
reveal that it is still 9:14 AM. The ticking becomes louder
and the watch drops out of his hands. He begins to sweat and
shake, and the camera moves to the watch on the floor. Still
quiet, the foreboding music comes again, as the clock ticks
so loud that it is now a BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
sound, shaking the room to its very core! The camera

5.

switches back to Dirk, who gets up and begins to scream and
bang on the wall.
                                                            
                       DIRK
      (utterly insane)
LET ME OUT OF HERE! I WAS SUPPOSED
TO BE ON TIME TODAY! NO! NO, LET
ME OUT! IT'S NOT 9:14 ANYMORE! NO!
PLEASE, DAMN, LET ME OUT! SOMEONE,
ANYONE, KILL ME SO I CAN ESCAPE MY
FATE! I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE
LATE, I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO LOSE
IT! LET ME OUT! IT'S ME, DIRK
MARKS! VICTOR, RICK, MR. BOSEMAN,
PLEASE, ANYONE, FREE ME FROM THIS
HORRIBLE IMPRISONMENT!
      (Dirk's head
       suddenly turns
       around,
       violently, with a
       scope of madness
       creeping across
       his eyes and his
       face, as he
       realizes what is
       going on here)
No! I'm not insane!
      (we hear screams
       in the background
       as he continues)
I'M NOT INSANE! I am a sane man, a
REASONABLE man, who was NOT
SUPPOSED TO BE LATE! I cannot
BELIEVE!, that you would declare
such an inhumane accusation! I'M
SANE! I AM SANE! IT'S THE PILLS!
THE DAMN PILLS! IT'S... THE...
PILLS!
                                                            
Suddenly, Dirk is knocked to the floor as the elevator
starts back up. Uplifting music beings playing, as the
lights turn on and we hear the whirring again. The camera
switches to the panel, which is rapidly moving from 6 to 19.
Camera switches to Dirk's face, which has an inspired smile
on it - he's not late! It's still 9:14, right. We hear the
ding, and the elevator door is showcased in the camera. We
switch to Dirk, who nods assuredly, and the elevator door
begins to open. Dirk jaunts out triumphantly, and yelps in
excitement - he's not going to be late.
                                                            
 
                                                            
 
                                                            
 
                                                            
 
                                                            
 
                                                            
 
                                                            
 
                                                            
 
                                                            
 

6.

INT. ELEVATOR - DAY
                                                            
Suddenly, everything goes blank. We come back in a fade in,
to a view of a dark room. The camera moves up and looks
around.
                                                            
                       DIRK
Wh... what?
                                                            


FADE OUT.


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From J.J Date 12/5/2007 1/2
TMI! I kept wishing it would end so I could stop reading it! You are putting way to much direction in. If I were a producer, I would have put it down after the first page.

From robert Date 2/15/2007 ****
great job


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