INT. DARK ROOM.

 

An overhead lamp swings gently back and forth, in a room otherwise shrouded in darkness, shining a harsh and direct light onto what is below. A hand comes into frame, stopping the lamp in place. A man sits down in a chair, his arms resting on the table in front of him, holding nothing but a stack of papers. He stares with a blank expression across the table, where another man sits in a chair, asleep, his head tilted to one side. The INTERROGATOR lifts up his stack of papers, and shuffles them twice against the wooden surface, creating a double knocking sound. Suddenly, DANIEL’s eyes burst open, and he looks around at his surroundings, confused.

 

DANIEL

(Groggily)

What is this?... Where am I?

 

The INTERROGATOR continues staring at DANIEL, eye contact unwavering, not a crease or twitch in his face.

 

INTERROGATOR

How do you plead?

 

DANIEL

(Confused)

Plead? Plead for what?

 

DANIEL lurches upward out of his chair.

 

DANIEL

(Continued)

Who are y-

 

Inexplicably, as soon as DANIEL stands up, he is forced back into his chair by something unseeable. He looks dazed, and even more bewildered than before.

 

INTERROGATOR

What can you tell me about your mother?

 

DANIEL

(Still dazed)

What do you want to know?

 

INTERROGATOR

I already know it all, Mr. Maguire. I just want to see if you know

 

DANIEL

How do you know my name?

 

The INTERROGATOR doesn’t answer.

 

DANIEL

(Looks away, continued)

It was a long time ago

 

INTERROGATOR

Do you require a reminder?

 

DANIEL

Reminder of what? What do you want me to plead for? I didn’t do anything, I swear

 

The INTERROGATOR pauses for a moment, then lifts up his papers and shuffles them twice against the table, just as he had done before. As if by command, DANIEL’s eyes shut themselves closed.

 

 

​

INT. DINING ROOM. DAY.

 

When DANIEL’s eyes open, he finds himself in a completely different place, one flushed with warmth and light. He looks around, reorienting himself, and realizes that he is standing in his old living room. His gaze floats over to the dining table, where a figure’s back is facing him.

 

DANIEL

(To the figure at the dining table)

Hello?

 

DANIEL gets no response. Slowly, he steps towards the dining table with careful apprehension, leaning to try to see the person’s face. Suddenly, the sound of a door opening breaks the silence.

 

WOMAN

(Calling out from offscreen)

I’m home!

 

DANIEL’s head jerks in the direction of the sound. He recognizes the voice. After a few moments, the woman walks through the doorway into the dining room. DANIEL’s mouth hangs open, his eyes unblinking. As if he had just seen a ghost.

 

WOMAN

(Slightly annoyed)

Daniel?

 

DANIEL

(Shocked expression still on his face)

Mom?

 

But the woman wasn’t looking at DANIEL. She was looking at the figure sitting at the dining table, who hadn’t bothered to look up from his computer until now. When he did, his face was a mix of apathy and smugness.

 

PAST DANIEL

What?

 

DANIEL’S MOTHER

(Fishing for some sort of greeting)

I’m home

 

PAST DANIEL

(Head turning back to his computer)

I can see that

 

DANIEL’S MOTHER watches PAST DANIEL for a second longer, and then walks back out of the room. DANIEL’s expression hasn’t changed, his mind still processing what he just saw. He can feel his heartrate rising rapidly in panic and confusion. Before he can come to any sort of conclusion, he hears a double knocking sound, and his eyes shut themselves once more.

 

 

​

INT. DARK ROOM.

 

DANIEL’s eyes open, and he is sitting in the dark room again. The INTERROGATOR looks at him from across the table, seemingly not having had moved an inch since Daniel last saw him.

 

DANIEL

(Still breathing heavily)

What the hell was that?

 

INTERROGATOR

(Unfazed)

Did that jog your memory?

 

DANIEL

(Still in disbelief)

That was my mother. How did you do that? I haven’t seen her-

 

INTERROGATOR

In years? I’m aware. And you still haven’t, not really.

 

DANIEL

She couldn’t see me. I called out to her, but… nothing

 

INTERROGATOR

Something I’m sure she could have related to

 

DANIEL

(Eyebrows furrowed)
What do you want?

 

INTERROGATOR

(Looking up from the stack of papers)

I want to know what happened after

 

DANIEL

After? When after?

 

INTERROGATOR

(Glances at his papers)

About three weeks, six days, and five hours after

 

DANIEL realizes what the INTERROGATOR is talking about, and looks down at his lap.

 

DANIEL

I don’t want to talk about it

 

INTERROGATOR

I can wait

 

DANIEL

(Pauses for a second)

She… left me

 

INTERROGATOR

Is that how you remember it?

 

DANIEL

How else would you describe it?

 

The INTERROGATOR pauses, then lifts his stack of papers.

 

DANIEL

Wait! Stop-

 

The INTERROGATOR shuffles his papers against the table twice, and like clockwork, DANIEL’s eyes shut themselves closed again.

 

 

​

INT. BEDROOM. DAY.

 

When DANIEL’s eyes open, he is in a bedroom. His bedroom. The heavenly glow of sunlight shines through the windows and washes over the walls. Across the room from DANIEL, his younger self sits at a desk, typing away aimlessly at his computer. DANIEL steps slowly towards the desk, his eyes scanning his younger self’s back. There is a sudden knock at the door, halting DANIEL in his steps. The door opens, and DANIEL’S MOTHER steps into the room.

 

DANIEL’S MOTHER

I’m heading to the office soon

 

PAST DANIEL

(Still looking at his computer)

Okay

 

DANIEL’S MOTHER

Did you pick up the package from the post office?

 

PAST DANIEL doesn’t answer.

 

DANIEL’S MOTHER

(Sternly)

Daniel

 

PAST DANIEL

(Exasperated)

I’ll do it later. Just… leave me alone.

 

DANIEL stares at his mother, knowing that this was the last time he ever saw her. PAST DANIEL continues staring at his computer, not a hint of remorse in his face. His mother stays in the doorway for a moment, before sighing and turning back toward the door.

 

DANIEL’S MOTHER

Don’t worry about it. I’ll see you when I get home. I love you

 

She walks out the door, not expecting a response and not getting one. DANIEL watches her leave, something he didn’t do last time. He hears a double knocking sound, and this time, he shuts his eyes willingly.

 

 

​

INT. DARK ROOM.

 

DANIEL’s eyes open as he returns to the dark room. He stares at his feet, not making eye contact with the INTERROGATOR. The INTERROGATOR’s eyes are focused on the papers in his hands.

 

INTERROGATOR

“Leave me alone”. That is the last thing you ever said to her

 

DANIEL

(Still looking at his feet)

How was I supposed to know? I wasn’t ready to say goodbye

 

INTERROGATOR

(Looking back up at DANIEL)

No one ever is. How do you think she died?

 

DANIEL

She was on her way back from the office… it was raining… she tried to speed around a construction site… the car slid off the road. Are you really going to make me relive this?

 

INTERROGATOR

And where was she going?

 

DANIEL

(Almost sarcastically, as if the answer was obvious)

Back home?

 

INTERROGATOR

(Shaking his head slowly)

No. She was going to the post office

 

DANIEL freezes. His eyes dart up to meet the INTERROGATOR’s gaze. Whatever expression was on his face melts away as the realization of his actions wash over him.

 

The INTERROGATOR shuffles the papers against the table twice, and DANIEL’s eyes shut themselves closed once more.

 

CUT TO BLACK

 

THE END