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by Zach Galindo (choplivaa@yahoo.com)

Rated: PG-13

Genre: Drama User Review:

The average teenager struggles with his own depressive thoughts but is continually lead on by something that should not be danced with. When his mother becomes concerned, it may already be too late. A short film by Zach Galindo

INT. SUBURBS - DAY

INT. DOCTORS OFFICE - DAY

The screen is black. Sounds of a buzzing light is heard. The
screen is revealed and a doctor is standing over the view
with a flashlight shining into the camera.

            DR. WARSHALL
      (Relieved, joking,
       friendly)
Oh, he's waking up now. Hey sport,
had a crazy night? (chuckle)
Well you seem to fine. I'm more
worried about whats going on in
your brain than what damage it has
caused your body.(chuckle)

The doctor gently pats Ben's back as he smiles.

DR. WARSHALL
(Friendly)
You'll be just fine.

MOM
(Relieved)
Ben you could have really hurt
yourself! You're lucky it was just
a few bruises and scratches.

Ben continues to sit with a blank face that makes him seem
timid and uncomfortable.

Ben and his mom arise from their sitting positions to start
for the exit.

            MOM
      (Thankfull,
       cassual)
Thank you doctor.

DR. WARSHALL
(cassual, joking)
Oh no problem. If you need
anything else, you have my number.
I have a feeling I won't be seeing
the last of you anyways. (chuckle)

            MOM
      (chuckling,
       departing)
Ok, thank you.

Ben and his mother walk out of patient room with the doctor
following behind. The two walk out into the lobby and ben is
slightly leading.

            MOM
      (Frustrated,
       curious)
I still don't know what you were
thinking. Getting up in the middle
of the night and wondering to
traffic? What were you thinking?

They have now made it completely outside of the doctors
office.

Ben does not answer, turning his blank face slightly
aggravated.

She stops walking

MOM
(Frustrated)
What? you're still not gonna talk
to me? Ok well-

BEN
(Annoyed, tempered)
I don't know, ok!? I was confused,
and half asleep- maybe even
dreaming! Can you just lay off?

Ben's mother is surprised to see Ben make this reaction.
They pause for a moment, then continue to walk to their car,
Ben leading.

They both enter the car and they are silent for a moment.

            MOM
      (Apollogetic,
       sorry)
(sighs) Ben... I'm sorry. Just let
me know what's going on.

She is turned towards Ben, but he ignores her and stares
straight with a blank face.

The car is shown pulling out, and exiting the parking lot as
song takes over.

INT. HARRIS RESIDENCE - NIGHT

Ben and his mother pull up to the house in their car. Ben
gets out of the car first, rushing inside. His mother
watches him. She lets out a big sigh and heads inside.

Ben is walking up stairs, as his mom comes through the front
door.

MOM
(Curious)
Dinner?

Ben ignores his mother, continuing to his room.

Ben's door slams.

His mother is shown sitting at the dining room table. She
lets out a sigh.

Ben jumps in his bed, kicking his shoes off. He tries to
make himself fall asleep. He ends up thinking of his
experience the night before. Flashes of his experience are
flashed off and on the screen, switching between ben and his
memory. The flash backs start to get extreme. Ben's mother
knocks on his door as the flashes stop

MOM
(demonading)
Take out the garbage.

Ben is startled for a moment, then gets up letting out a
sigh.

INT. BEN'S NEIGHTBORHOOD - NIGHT

Ben walks out his front door with a bag of garbage in his
hand. He walks around the side of his house to take it out.
Ben opens the lid to the garbage can and hears a rustling in
the bushes across the street. He pauses for a moment and
then continues to put the garbage in the garbage can. He is
on his way back inside, when he hears a girl's laughter and
more disturbances coming from the bushes. Ben takes a harder
look across the street.

BEN
(curious, hesitant)
Hel-Hello? Is there... Is there
anybody in those bushes? Hello?

Ben walks over to the bushes slowly. Ben turns around to
look at his house, and when he returns his head in the

direction he was walking, a girl is standing next to the
bushes. Ben makes eye contact with her, not saying a word.
Ben seems to look like he is in some kid of trance. The girl
suddenly takes off running, and Ben follows after her.

The two begin to run through Ben's neighbor hood. The girl
begins to run down another street, with Ben trailing her.
She suddenly stops and turns around. She makes direct eye
contact with Ben.

GIRL
(Smiling, happy)
Bye.

Ben suddenly wakes up in his bed. He is puzzled for a
moment, then hears a knock at his door.

MOM
(demanding)
Get up and take out that garbage.

Ben grabs his pillow and puts it over his face. He lets out
a grown into it.

INT. HARRIS RESIDENCE - DAY

Ben is sitting at his dining room table eating a bowl of
cereal. His mother is moving quickly around the kitchen,
putting things away and what not.

MOM
(Rushed, concerned)
I have to go pick up you're aunt
Carrol from the airport. She's
flying into visit us.

She looks down at her watch.

MOM
(Rushed, concerned)
Shoot! I gotta go. I'll be back in
a bit.

The front door closes as Ben picks up his bowl and brings it
to the sink. he heads up stairs and into his room.

Ben sits on his bed. He looks out his window and see's the
girl he has been seeing standing outside his house. Ben's
face is surprised. He looks at the shirt he is wearing and
thinks for a split second, and decides to change it. He
takes his shirt off and grabs a new one from his drawer. Ben
starts to put the shirt on. When Ben finishes putting the

shirt on, the girl is standing in his doorway. Ben takes a
moment to admire her looks.

BEN
(nervous, shy)
Hi... Um, what are you... What are
you doing here?

The girl looks at Ben, then holds her hand out like an
invitation to join hands. Ben reaches for her hand, and she
quickly pulls away before his hand can make contact with
hers. She looks at Ben, then takes off.

BEN
(exclamatory)
Wait!

The girl keeps on her way out of Ben's house so he follows
after her. She is already out the door by the time Ben can
even get down the stairs. When Ben gets to the door way, the
girl looks as if she was waiting for Ben to come out of his
house. They make another direct eye contact, and Ben goes
into that trance-like state again. she starts walking
quickly down the street, so Ben copies her. They exit Ben's
street and are headed toward an area filled with trees.

Ben's mother is shown driving in the car.

RADIO
(Informant)
Weather report for Feburary 12th,
there will be cloudy skies in the
morning, but will clear up later
in the afternoon, ending the day
with clear skies.

MOM
(frustrated, mad)
Shoot! It's only the 12th? Carrol
come in on the 13th! (lets out a
groan/sigh)

She turns her car around and heads back home.

Ben and the girl have made it to the forest-like area, to
find a flowing creek. The girl is already on the other side,
and without even thinking about it, Ben is crossing the
creek. Ben acts as if he was a piece of iron, being
attracted by a magnet. Ben continues through the creek until
he reaches the other side. Ben's lower half is soaked, but
the girl appears dry. She stops and looks into Ben's eyes.
Ben gazes back into hers.

BEN
(Blank)
What's your-

The girl disappears. Ben Has no idea what has happened. He
is so confused.

BEN
(Mad, disapointed)
No! Why does she do that!? HOW
does she do that!?

Ben hangs his head and makes his way back to his house. As
he is walking back, his mother see's him on her way back to
the house. She notices he is drenched and pulls over in
front of him immediately. She gets out of the car.

            MOM
      (suprised,
       concerned)
Why are you all wet? Where were
you?

Ben stares blankly at the floor and does not answer.

            MOM
      (Concerned,
       Frustrated)
Ben! Answer me!

Ben continues to stare.

            MOM
      (Concerned,
       Nagging)
Really Ben? Again?

            BEN
      (Restless,
       demented)
The girl. She always does this.
She's just...gone.

Ben passes out on the pavement.

INT. DOCTORS OFFICE - DAY

The screen is black, the same familiar buzzing noise is
heard coming from a light. Light starts to fade on screen
and the Dr. Warshall is standing over Ben.

DR. WARSHALL
(Joking, Releived)
Nice of you to join us. You gave
us scare for a moment. Do you
remember what happened?

Ben looks over to his mom, with her make up ruined by tears,
then back at the doctor and says nothing.

DR. WARSHALL
(Informant)
Well you passed out on your walk
home from taking a swim in a
creek. You seem completely
healthy, so my guess is that you
were exhausted or dehydrated. Why
don't you go get some water in the
other room? I need to talk to your
mother.

Ben gets up and leaves the room.

            DR. WARSHALL
      (concerned,
       curious)
So a girl?

            MOM
      (Interested,
       informant)
Yes. A girl. He mentioned
something about a girl when we
first moved here, quite often
actually. I figured it was
nothing. He used have all kinds of
imaginary friends when he was
younger.

The doctor rubs his chin for a moment.

            DR. WARSHALL
      (Curious,
       concerned)
Imaginary friends? Well he is 17
years old now. Imaginary friends
could be potentially dangerous.
Has he said anything in specific
about this girl?

            MOM
      (concerned,
       nervous)
What do you mean dangerous? They
can hurt him? How can fake things
            (MORE)

MOM (cont'd)
hurt my son?

            DR. WARSHALL
      (concerned,
       curious)
Not physically. Ben could be going
through some psychological
problems. Was there anything
specific about the girl?

            MOM
      (concerned,
       nervous)
No. No, Ben hasn't really said
anything.

            DR. WARSHALL
      (concerned,
       curious)
Has Ben had a chance to make
friends since you guys moved here?

            MOM
      (Interested,
       informant)
Now that i think of it, he hasn't
brought anyone by the house or
anything. Why?

DR. WARSHALL
(Informant)
Well sometimes when a person gets
lonely, or depressed, they can
start to, well, see people or
things that aren't really there.
Is there-

            MOM
      (interested,
       frustrated)
You mean hallucinate? My sons not
crazy!

            DR. WARSHALL
      (Interested,
       informant)
Please, Ms. Harris, I am not
calling him crazy. I am just
saying this a possibility.

            MOM
      (Interested,
       informant)
Well, I guess that would be true.
He has been pretty distant since
we lost his dad. I hope-

Ben comes back through the door. Dr. Warshall and Ben's
mother look at Ben with the same look.

BEN
(angry, whatever)
I was standing by the door the
whole time. I'm not crazy. I know
what I saw.

Ben's mother looks at Dr. Warshall.

MOM
(concerned)
Come on Ben, let's go.

BEN
(pissed)
Yeah, I'm way ahead of you.

Ben's mother nods to Dr. Wrashall as she and Ben exit the
room.

Dr. Warshall is shown with a disappointed face.

INT. BEN'S NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY

Ben is shown getting out of the car in front of his house,
violently.

BEN
(blunt, attitude)
I'm going for a walk.

Ben's mother looks at him concerned. He continues on his way
and walks down the street. He is headed to the creek where
the girl lead him. He goes down past the creek and found
himself in a dense tree area. He sits down next to a tree.
He hangs his head.

            BEN
      (confused,
       depressed)
What is this? maybe they're right?
Maybe i am just lonely, and i'm
loosing it.

10.

Ben hears leafs shuffling so he looks up. The girl is
standing right near him.

            BEN
      (confused, in
       doubt, in denial)
No! No, you're not there!

He rubs his eyes. and retrnes them to the sight of the girl.

            BEN
      (confused,
       stressed)
What do you want? Why are you
doing this?

The girl reaches out her hand as an invitation to connect
hands.

Just as Ben gets up to reach for her hand, she walks around
a tree. Ben follows after her. She seems to be loosing Ben
in the Maze-like forest. The chase continues, testing Ben's
patience. Ben see's a shadow of something human like on the
floor behind a tree. He approaches it slowly with some hope
it would be her. He has a smile on his face. Ben quietly
gets near the tree, and as he gets closer, speed increases
as well. He quickly jumps around the corner to find nothing.

Ben's smile is quickly replaced with a disappointed face. He
hangs his head and starts slowly back home. He's making his
way out of the forest-like area and flashbacks of the girl
are flickering on and off screen.Ben finally makes it out of
the trees. As he is walking, he see's a set of feet. he
looks up to find The girl is standing right in front of him.

GIRL
(Happy, Inviting)
Hi.

An alternate view for the two teenagers is shown from a
distance. Ben is standing alone.

The girl holds out her hand once again. Ben slowly reaches
for it, and finally connect hands with the girl. There
fingers link, and they walk away down a road together, as
there silhouettes get smaller and smaller.

FADE OUT.

Feedback

From frances small	Date 3/18/2010
This was clumsy, as if written by someone who speaks english as a second language. I couldn't read past the first 6 scenes because the writing was inconsistent. Your tenses jump all over the place and you over use the parentheticals. Try working them into the screen direction rather than relying on them. And Directors hate them.

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