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by Jack Holloway

Rated: PG-13

Genre: Drama User Review: NOT YET
RATED
Sureal drama of a mans longing in the dream of happiness.(short film)

DICE

FADE IN:

INT. JAMES BEDROOM - DAY

JAMES, 28, Dark haired male, sleeps in bed while having a
vivid nightmare.

JAMES DREAMING

The long THIN FANGS dropped slowly towards his neck as the
smell of alcohol lingered in the air, then with a quick
bite...

BLACK OUT:

ANTONIA (VO)
James really thought he should
stop getting off with the girl
from the chip shop, and maybe
these nightmares would end. Not
that the girl was totally
unattractive to him, just the
large gap in her teeth only became
unnoticeable after 5 to 6 pints of
lager.

JAMES long gangly legs reached to the floor to start another
day.

ANTONIA (VO)
Luckily for James it was the
weekend, and best all, Saturday
his favorite day.

Lazily he looks around, in contemplation of tidying his
bedroom.

JAMES
(frowning)
Where the hell do i start with
this lot !

JUMP CUT TO:

JAMES sits on the end of his bed, starry eyed, daydreaming,
while staring blankly onto his bedroom floor.

ANTONIA (VO)
Anyone that hadn't seen JAMES'S
bedroom before could unknowingly
have mistaken it for a bomb site,
(MORE)

ANTONIA (cont'd)
which in turn, JAMES found most
pleasing, as he thought anyone
that can be organised in such a
mess deserved the highest praise.

Reluctantly, JAMES begins tidying, as his mind drifts back
to the previous evening.

BEGIN FLASHBACK

FADE TO:

ANTONIA (VO)
That particular evening JAMES had
found himself talking to a ELEGANT
OLDER LADY. He couldn't recall how
they'd met, or why indeed they
where talking to each other in the
first place, all he knew, was that
the conversation he remembered was
most fascinating.

INT. LION BAR - NIGHT

James sits at the bar, half way through his forth of fifth
pint of lager,eyes glazed, staring at the VOLUPTUOUS
BARMAID. He senses somebody sit down beside him, he slowly
TURNS his head, before him is an ANGELIC LADY.

ANTONIA, an elegant looking lady in her 50's, long golden
blonde hair, with charming persona and soft soothing voice.

FIFTEEN MINUTES INTO CONVERSATION -

ANTONIA
Well you sound like you had a
pretty nice childhood.

JAMES
Ye, for the most part.

ANTONIA
(curiously)
You sound like you have
reservations.

JAMES
No really it was fine, Its just...
my father was hardly ever around,
the odd weekend, that was about
it.

Reflective pause while both sip their drinks

ANTONIA
(Sweetly smiling)
So James, are you meeting your
girlfriend later?

JAMES
(Face Saddens)
Nah, I'm afraid its the life of a
bachelor, that's me.

ANTONIA
There must be someone that makes
your heart skip a beat or two?

With a melancholy look, James smiles without reply.

ANTONIA
(eyes sparkling)
Well I'm sure the right girls just
around the corner.

Reflective pause

ANTONIA
You know James, i always remember
what my mother used to tell me
when i was a girl growing up. She
used to say "girly, GO PLACE YOUR
HANDS IN THE WATERS OF CHANCE"

JAMES
(confused)
So she wanted you to take a
chance?

ANTONIA
Partly yes, but i think what she
really meant was "FOLLOW YOUR
HEART AND SEE WHERE IT TAKES YOU"

FADE OUT:

END FLASHBACK:

INT. JAMES BEDROOM - DAY

JAMES lazily surveys his bedroom in preparation in bringing
some kind of order back, to a place which could easily
described as, a JUMBLE SALE CRASH SITE. His eyes settle on

a old WOODEN BOX, filled with a collection of items James
had inherited from his Father.

JAMES
God, i haven't rummaged around in
this old box for years.

BEGIN FLASHBACK:

INT. JAMES OLD FAMILY HOUSE - DAY

James rummaging around in the box 10 years previously.

ANTONIA (VO)
Not in fact, since his father had
tragically died, which in turn,
was reason enough not to, as most
of the items in the box reminded
James of his untimely death,
rather than the great times they
had once had.

END FLASHBACK:

INT. JAMES BEDROOM - DAY

Calmly lifting the box, James places it by his bed.
Inspecting the contents, finds a picture of his himself and
his Father.

JAMES
(angrily)
Why the hell isn't this picture on
my dam wall!

After removing his treasured Manchester Untied team photo,
James gracefully places the picture of himself and his
Father above his bed.

With a sense of satisfaction James continues exploring the
box.

JAMES
OK, old records, keys, penknife,
books...

He pauses noticing a attractive wooden box. It consists of
light and dark wood, with silver engraving lining its top.

James Stares down at the box, with no recognition of ever
seeing it before.

Lifting the box onto his lap, JAMES curiously opens its
engraved top. Glowing up at him a TRANSPARENT DICE rests in
a velvet surrounding.

ANTONIA (VO)
As James held the Dice in his
hands ,he noticed there where not
numbers on the dice but words. The
words read, LOVE, ADVENTURE ,
MAGIC, CHANCE and finally the
remaining side was BLANK

The Dice is twice the size of a conventional Dice, with a
MARBLE LIKE TEXTURE.

JAMES playfully wriggles the DICE in his hands, curiously
throwing it onto the bedroom floor.

JAMES NERVOUSLY LAUGHS -

The TRANSPARENT DICE comes to rest, a piercing light
ILLUMINATES from its inside, a DISTINCTIVE FRAGRANCE floats
through the air.

JAMES
(subconsciously)
What the hell...

JAMES unclenches his perspiring hand, reaches through the
illuminating light to pick up the DICE. As JAMES bends down
and squints his eyes, the word LOVE is clear to see.

LOVE:

SYMBOLS stream across the room as JAMES SWIVELS the dice in
his sodden fingers. He Deliberately shines the DICE on a
defined space on the wall seeing the words, LOOK AT YOURSELF
WHEN THE SUNSHINE HITS THE WATER.

Marvelling in the sheer magic of the moment, JAMES
subliminally repeats the words off the wall.

JAMES
(eyes glazed)
LOOK AT YOURSELF AS THE SUNSHINE
HITS THE WATER.

ANTONIA (VO)
James adjacent wall was devoted to
a collage of photographs from
years gone by. Everyone he'd ever
known was on that wall, and in a
very special way, felt inertly
(MORE)

ANTONIA (cont'd)
contented whenever gazing upon it.

James leisurely stands up. Unconsciously he is drawn to the
photographs on the wall. Inquisitively his eyes scan over
them, and settle on one in particular.

A sense of amazement fills JAMES'S eyes. Softly he repeats
the words off the wall.

JAMES
(reflectively)
LOOK AT YOURSELF AS THE SUNSHINE
HITS THE WATER

ALISON, 28, long black hair, athletic, good sense of humour,
kind personality, positive outlook.

BEGIN FLASHBACK:

FADE TO:

EXT. LAKE - DAY

LAST YEARS SUMMER HOLIDAY

James and Alison frolic around on a beautiful summers day by
a crystal clear lake

ANTONIA (VO)
James has found himself looking at
a photograph that had been taken
by a lake last summer. It was a
picture of himself and Alison, and
behind them in the suns reflection
was a mirror image of themselves.
The sense of contentment that had
filled their eyes on that summers
afternoon, had suddenly returned
to James's world, as had a strong
compulsion to see Alison again.

END FLASHBACK:

FADE TO:

BEGIN FLASHBACK:

James and Alison get drunk at a Christmas party at a PUB in
the town. Laughs ,balloons, streamers and sore heads in the
morning.

INT. BAR - NIGHT

CHRISTMAS PARTY

ANTONIA (VO)
James hadn't seen Alison since
Christmas and it was fast
approaching March, with spring
just around the corner. Alison was
one of those friends that everyone
has, the "WHAT IF" variety, but
then the "WHAT IF" never
materialises, because the thought
of rejection, and also the fear of
losing such a close friend, never
makes it feel realistic to make
the transformation from good
friends, to lover.

END FLASHBACK:

JUMP CUT TO:

James hurriedly pulls his phone from his pocket, and
apprehensively searches for Alison's number.

His heart starts to beat faster, a sense of overwhelming
anxiety consumes him as he nervously dials the number.

CUT TO:

EXT. CAFE. SILVER TABLES - DAY

Five minutes into conversation

ALISON
So how's your MUM James?, she
still abroad?.

JAMES
(comically)
Ye in Italy at the moment, staying
with some more friends, ya know.

Alison giggles, then talks to A LADY in the CAFE

JAMES
(hard to hear)
So... Where are you again?

ALISON
(talks loudly)
I'm at that little CAFE down by
the RIVER you know, SILVER TABLES.

JAMES
(laughing)
Sounds quite busy

ALISON
(smiling)
Ye its filling up. I'm actually
with a friend, shes one of my
clients at the GYM. I was thinking
we might get together tomorrow,
maybe go out for lunch, there's
some things i wana talk to you
about.

JAMES
(laughing)
Sounds interesting.

ALISON
(A loving smile)
I'll keep you in suspense till
tomorrow.

FADE OUT:

JAMES contentedly smiles while gliding over the bedroom
floor.

Lovingly JAMES daydreams about ALISON absorbed by his
feelings. His face a magnitude of euphoria, his EYES SPARKLE
like the night stars.

TRUTH:

JUMP CUT TO:

EXT. JAMES GARDEN - DAY

JAMES gracefully prances around the garden, jeans dragging
on the grass, eyes full of light, smile full of hope.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY

In SLOW MOTION JAMES releases the DICE onto the wooden
living room floor. A THUNDERING BOOM fills the room, a
piercing LIGHT STREAMS out of the DICE, a DISTINCTIVE
FRAGRANCE encapsulates the room.

JAMES cautiously leans over the DICE.

JAMES
(excitedly)
TRUTH!, its landed on TRUTH!

Comically JAMES laughs with puzzlement over his face

JAMES purposely picks up the DICE pointing it on the sitting
room wall. Attentively he reads the words in a confused
tone.

            JAMES
      (sounds like he's
       under water)
WHEN THE WINGS OF TRUTH CATCH THE
AIR.

JAMES'S eyes float around the room and settle on his FATHERS
old WRITING DESK. Suddenly he feels allured to its centre,
where two draws sit, one increasingly more warn than the
other.

ANTONIA (VO)
James hadn't ever explored the
contents of the locked draws; I
guess the thought had slipped his
mind never to return. A feeling of
tension now consumed James, as he
remembered seeing a bunch of old
keys from his Fathers box earlier.

CUT TO:

James excitedly WRIGGLES the key in lock. The SQUEAKY DRAW
opens.

His eyes strongly illuminate. He gazes upon a DUSTY OLD
JOURNAL.

BEGIN FLASHBACK:

EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - DAY

JAMES and EDWARD (his father) walk in the Countryside.

10.

ANTONIA (VO)
James never had any idea that his
father had kept a journal, but
understood the importance of
peoples private thoughts.

END FLASHBACK:

FADE TO:

BEGIN FLASHBACK:

James remembering growing up with his Father never around.

ANTONIA (VO)
As James read through the first
few pages of the journal something
fundamental became apparent. This
was not the life he knew of his
Father, but a parallel one unknown
to himself. A startling fact had
flown into James's world today, in
a women named JOANNA

END FLASHBACK:

CUT TO:

James face SNARLS UP. A sense of anger consumes him.
Emotionally he carries on reading the journal.

ANTONIA (VO)
As James carried on reading, an
explanation was not long in coming
from the dusty old pages.

FADE TO:

BEGIN FLASHBACK:

INT. JAMES OLD FAMILY HOUSE - NIGHT

REVERSE ANGEL of EDWARD. POV - EDWARD writing his JOURNAL.

EDWARD (VO)
The meaning of this journal in
part, is to try and explain to
myself, why indeed, and how i came
about to leading a double life.
All the lying, cheating and time
consuming events that lead me to
where i am now. I am not proud of
myself, I guess some things in
(MORE)

11.

EDWARD (cont'd)
life are unavoidable, or they seem
to be anyway. I love my family,
and its hurts me to do what I've
done, but it would hurt me more
not to be with Joanna. The
unfortunate destiny of meeting my
soul mate when i am happily
married is my only excuse. I've
found out in my hardy way, that is
it possible to Love two people at
the same time, and indeed, love is
blind to all morals, rules and
logical thinking, that you would
normally implement into most other
parts of your life.

END FLASHBACK:

JUMP CUT TO:

INT. LIVING ROOM: - DAY

Arms slouched over the desk, emotionally drained, James eyes
glaze over, looking into space.

A CRUNCHING THUD echoes the room as James hysterically
throws the journal against the WALL.

CHANCE:

FADE TO:

INT. STAIRCASE LANDING - DAY

An UNFORGIVING CRASH as James Accidentally falls over. The
Dice falls out of his pocket, and GAMBOLS down the
STAIRCASE.

Streaming LIGHT fills the HALLWAY.The ESSENCE of SPRING
encapsulates the air. JAMES slowly leans over the DICE. The
word CHANCE illuminates below him.

Quietly JAMES repeats the words off the DICE.

JAMES
ENTER YOUR BLISS IN THE WATERS OF
CHANCE.

BEGIN FLASHBACK:

12.

FADE TO:

INT. LION BAR: - NIGHT

PREVIOUS EVENING

JAMES remembers the words ANTONIA spoke to him. "PLACE YOUR
HANDS IN THE WATERS OF CHANCE"

END FLASHBACK:

CUT TO:

INT. LION BAR: - NIGHT

Uncomfortably slouching at the BAR, James feel a WARM HAND
slide over his RIGID NECK. He turns his head, a HUGE SMILE
encapsulates his face.

JAMES
(excitedly)
Alison, what you doin here?, I
thought you had plans?.

Both lovingly EMBRACE

ALISON
(grinning)
Ye I did, but i couldn't help
coming to see you.

JAMES
(confused)
So... what happened to your
friend, did you stand her up?.

ALISON
No, she's just in the Loo. Before
she comes back, I've got something
to ask you.

JAMES
Ye, sure.

ALISON
(nervously)
Well..(slight pause), I've rented
a Cottage by the sea next weekend,
and i was hoping you might come.

13.

            JAMES
      (holds back,
       excited)
Ye... that sounds great.

James is consumed with a feeling of EUPHORIA, he SENSES
somebody behind him.

ALISON
(cheerfully)
Oh by the way James, this is my
friend ANTONIA.

JAMES stares at ANTONIA stunned, without reply.

FADE TO:

EXT. OUTSIDE JAMES HOUSE - NIGHT

Alison and James stare at the NIGHT STARS, James arm
lovingly lent over Alison's SHOULDER.

JAMES
(curiously)
So what was that other thing you
wanted to tell me Ali ?.

            ALISON
      (starring into
       James eyes)
Promise you won't laugh ?.

JAMES
Ye course.

PAUSE

ALISON
(nervously)
This isn't easy to say, but... I
LOVE YOU , I always have done.

FADE OUT:

FADE TO:

INT. JAMES BEDROOM: MORNING - DAY

Lazily James awakes next to Alison. Gazes over to the
bedroom cupboard were he left the DICE. The DICE is gone. AN
IMPRINT is left in the wood.

14.

James hesitantly walks over to the IMPRINT. Touching it,
STREAMS of white light engulf the room.

FADE TO:

EXT. JAMES GARDEN: - DAY

Languidly James lies on a SUN LOUNGER reading his Fathers
journal. The sun beats down, he flicks through the dusty
pages at the back, a PHOTOGRAPH SAILS to the ground.

INSERT ON - PHOTOGRAPH OF ANTONIA AND EDWARD

MONTAGE

A Series of flashbacks :
1. James remembers seeing Antonia,s ring she was wearing
which is identical to his fathers he found in the wooden
box.
2.James reflects on Antonia asking him questions in the Lion
bar about his childhood.
3 James recalls Alison talking about a lady she was with at
the cafe "Silver Tables".
4. James remembers the essence of coconut which GORSE
produces,and recalls that is wear he used to walk with his
father.

END MONTAGE

Realising ANTONIA is JOANNA, an ASTONISHING GLARE consumes
JAMES face.

CROSS FADE:

INT. JAMES BEDROOM: - DAY

James sits up in bed startled, sweating profusely. He slowly
starts to smile, a more satisfying smile increases.

Fades up to picture of James and Edward above bed.

THE END

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