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Drain (short)
by Miles (mjoyner@gmail.com)

Rated: PG-13   Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy   User Review:
NOT YET
RATED



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.



FADE IN:

INT. METRO - DAY
                                                            
DOMINIC, a male in his early 20s, is sitting in a metro car
depressed.
                                                            
 
INT. PARKINSON HOUSE - NIGHT
                                                            
DOMINIC has a flashback to a dinner conversation he had at
his house the night before. At the dinner table it is only
DOMINIC and his brother, ROLD, a slightly bigger and older
male with dog tags showing his military experience. The two
are sitting across from each other eating their meal.
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
You know where mom and dad went?
                                                            
                       ROLD
      (Eating)
Who cares, they left us food.
                                                            
DOMINIC goes back to eating, and then ROLD looks up from his
plate and at DOMINIC.
                                                            
                       ROLD
So how's that job search going?
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
I'm actually trying to get an
internship.
                                                            
                       ROLD
Paid or unpaid?
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
Whoever takes me at this point.
I've applied to five places, and
they all say the same thing.
                                                            
                       ROLD
What do they say?
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
      (mimicking
       employers)
'Great motivation, obvious
passion, relevant experience-'
                                                            
                       ROLD
But?
                                                            

2.

DOMINIC puts his fork down and sighs.
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
Academically, I fall short.
                                                            
ROLD puts his fork down as well and cleans his mouth with a
napkin, and has a disappointed look on his face.
                                                            
                       ROLD
I told you, man. You're a smart
kid, but that GPA is gonna haunt
you if you don't step it up.
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
Rold, biochemistry isn't exactly
the easiest major in the world,
okay? And keep in mind, I'm still
only a sophomore.
                                                            
                       ROLD
      (Gripping his dog
       tags)
Do you want to end up wearing
these, Dominic?
                                                            
Dominic stops talking and goes back to eating his food,
trying to ignore Rold.
                                                            
                       ROLD
Dom, all I'm trying to say is you
can hold a pencil, or you can hold
a gun. That's just how this world
is.
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
Well I was thinking about changing
my major.
                                                            
                       ROLD
Whatever you do, do it before mom
and dad decide to stop helping you
out on your student loans.
                                                            
 
INT. METRO STATION - DAY
                                                            
METRO
                                                            
The metro train intercom states DOMINIC's destined station,
'Silver Spring.' DOMINIC then approaches the metro doors
and exits.
                                                            

3.

OUTSIDE METRO STATION
                                                            
DOMINIC walks out of the station and sees the college.
                                                            
 
INT. COLLEGE - DAY
                                                            
DOMINIC walks into the building and looks at the room
numbers. He soon sees the number he came in for, and walks
into the classroom.
                                                            
CLASSROOM
                                                            
The classroom is a standard small-sized classroom with a
desk at the front and chalkboard behindd it. DOMINIC sits
down and reads the chalkboard and pictures posted on the
walls. He sees news articles relating to research in
'Neurotheology,' and soon sees a neuroscience formula on the
chalkboard. ETHAN walks in with a folder after DOMINIC takes
notice to the board.
                                                            
                       ETHAN
      (Walking in)
Are you Mr. Parkinson?
                                                            
DOMINIC stands up to shake hands.
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
      (Shaking hands)
It's great to finally meet you,
Dr. Gul.
                                                            
                       ETHAN
      (Shaking hands)
Well, I'm still only a graduate
student, but I hope the title fits
well soon enough.
                                                            
ETHAN sits down at the front desk, and DOMINIC sits in a
chair close by.
                                                            
                       ETHAN
So, do you want to see the lab?
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
      (surprised)
What about the interview?
                                                            
                       ETHAN
      (Looking at his
       folder)
What do you know about Michael
Persinger?
                                                            

4.

                       DOMINIC
Isn't he that researcher that did
the experiments with the God
helmet?
                                                            
                       ETHAN
What do you know about the God
helmet?
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
It's controversial, I guess.
                                                            
ETHAN puts the folder down.
                                                            
                       ETHAN
I managed to get one delivered to
this campus.
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
Is it inside the lab?
                                                            
                       ETHAN
Let's postpone this interview,
follow me.
                                                            
ETHAN walks outside the room, and DOMINIC follows him.
                                                            
 
INT. HALLWAY OUTSIDE THE LAB - DAY
                                                            
ETHAN and DOMINIC walk through the hallway. ETHAN stops at
a door that is the entrance to the laboratory, and then
opens the door.
                                                            
                       ETHAN
Check it out
                                                            
LABORATORY
                                                            
DOMINIC spots what appears to be the 'god helmet,' a
headpiece with wires attached to it, connected to a laptop.
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
Whoa, it looks bigger than I
imagined.
                                                            
Dominic stares at the large helm it has a number of odd
tubes sending off purple electricity the black armored
nature of this helmet put fear into him
                                                            
                       ETHAN
I'm performing my first test in
two days, I could use somebody to
help situate the testee while I
            (MORE)

5.

                       ETHAN (cont'd)
set up the tools.
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
      (turning away from
       the God helmet)
What about the interview?
                                                            
                       ETHAN
Well, I can just get the
department to give you a stipend.
                                                            
ETHAN reaches out his hand to shake DOMINIC's, and DOMINIC
returns the shake.
                                                            
                       ETHAN
      (Shaking hands)
Thank you, Mr. Parkinson. Can you
be here at 2pm on Thursday?
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
      (Shaking hands)
Absolutely.
                                                            
                       ETHAN
Here I'll let you out.
                                                            
ETHAN and DOMINIC exit the room.
                                                            
 
INT. HALLWAY OUTSIDE THE LAB - THURSDAY - DAY
                                                            
DOMINIC walks into the hallway and sees ETHAN coming outside
the lab with folders.
                                                            
                       ETHAN
DOMINIC, good to see you. Look, I
have to go through some technical
stuff before we proceed, but
Reverend Hughes, the volunteer,
should be here at any point. Just
go ahead and have him sign these
safety forms. In the mean time,
you can look through the forms
yourself, and see that everything
is in order.
                                                            
ETHAN hands DOMINIC a folder before exiting the area.
DOMINIC sits down at a nearby seat to review the folder that
ETHAN had given him. After glancing at the papers, REV.
HUGHES, a man in Catholic priest attire, shows up near him.
                                                            

6.

                       REV. HUGHES
Hello, sir, are you Ethan Gul?
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
      (glancing up from
       his folder)
Oh, no. I'm Dominic, I'm just an
intern.
                                                            
                       REV. HUGHES
A student of science, eh? That
makes two of us.
                                                            
DOMINIC hands REV. HUGHES the forms.
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
      (giving Hughes the
       folder)
Here you go, Reverend Hughes.
                                                            
                       REV. HUGHES
      (Receiving the
       form)
Thank you, Mr.-
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
Parkinson. Dominic Parkinson.
                                                            
REV. HUGHES sits down near where Dominic was sitting
previously as he fills out the form.
                                                            
                       REV. HUGHES
Well, Dominic, I hope we both
learn from each other, today.
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
I agree.
                                                            
DOMINIC sits down across from REV. HUGHES, and then look in
his direction as he fills out the form.
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
What do you expect to gain?
                                                            
                       REV. HUGHES
Well, I think the church has a lot
to gain from these studies on the
brain. Lately, there hasn't been
enough effort to push forward
scientific theology because they
insist on keeping things so
conservative. I've always said we
got nothing to lose in the face of
seeking truth, and today science
            (MORE)

7.

                       REV. HUGHES (cont'd)
will play as that truth.
                                                            
ETHAN walks in.
                                                            
                       ETHAN
Welcome, Reverend Hughes.
                                                            
                       REV. HUGHES
Ah, so you must be Ethan?
                                                            
                       ETHAN
Correct, I see you have met my
assistant, Dominic. Step right in
so we can get started.
                                                            
The three leave the hallway and walk inside the lab.
                                                            
 
INT. LABORATORY - DAY
                                                            
ETHAN, REV. HUGHES, and DOMINIC walk inside the lab. DOMINIC
shows REV. HUGHES the God helmet as ETHAN prepares the
connected laptop.
                                                            
                       ETHAN
Does everything seem ready?
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
Yeah, it's on you now, Mr. Gul.
                                                            
                       ETHAN
Excellent. I'm afraid that's all
the work I have for you today,
Dominic. If things go well, I'll
have you come in a few days for
round 2. Do you remember how to
get out?
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
Yes, good luck on the experiment.
                                                            
                       REV. HUGHES
Keep the good work, Mr. Parkinson.
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
Thank you, Reverend, I'll see you
later.
                                                            
DOMINIC exits the lab.
                                                            
 

8.

INT. BATHROOM - DAY
                                                            
DOMINIC waives to ETHAN and then heads into the bathroom.
Eventually, his phone begins ringing. He picks it up with
his same-aged friend, CLIFF, on the other line.
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
Hello?
                                                            
                       CLIFF
Yo man, it's Cliff.
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
Hey, where are you now?
                                                            
                       CLIFF
I just left my lawyer's office.
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
Damn, what the hell happened?
                                                            
                       CLIFF
Man, let's just say I slept with
this girl from the club on Friday
night, and well, she was underage.
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
Wow, how old was she?
                                                            
                       CLIFF
Fifteen.
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
Did you know she was that young?
                                                            
                       CLIFF
No, well maybe, but, man, you
should have seen her...so fine
man.
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
That still doesn't make sense to
me.
                                                            
                       CLIFF
Okay, look, I got to go, my lawyer
wants to talk.
                                                            
DOMINIC hangs up the phone and proceeds toward his metro
stop.
                                                            
 

9.

EXT. PARKING LOT - DAY
                                                            
DOMINIC is walking out of the building when ETHAN comes
running up to him covered in blood.
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
Ethan, what happened?
                                                            
                       ETHAN
Dominic, there's not really an
easy way to say this, but I just
got involved in a situation with
Hughes.
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
What kind of situation?
                                                            
                       ETHAN
Well, in order to increase a
possible spiritual awareness, I
made an ill-researched move to
increase DMT intake. However,
somehow their brain activity
reached a violent level.
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
Are both of you okay?
                                                            
                       ETHAN
No, the ambulance is on its way. I
managed to subdue Reverend Hughes
after he attempted to lash out on
me after I tried to prevent him
from bashing his own head with the
God Helmet.
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
But sir, why would you do
something so risky with little
research?
                                                            
                       ETHAN
Well, Dominic. If I didn't,
somebody else would have, and I
wouldn't be the first.
                                                            
Before Dominic responds back, his phone rings.
                                                            
                       CLIFF
Yo man it's Cliff
                                                            

10.

                       DOMINIC
Hey Cliff, right now I'm a bit
busy-
                                                            
                       CLIFF
Naw man, I just called to tell you
I got off the hook.
                                                            
                       DOMINIC
That's great but listen, Cliff-
                                                            
                       CLIFF
I'll never do something like that
again, though. But if I didn't,
somebody else would have got her,
and I wouldn't be the first.
                                                            
SCENE ENDS AFTER CLIFF'S LAST STATEMENT
                                                            


FADE OUT.


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