Something For The Pain
(this is the first time ive done this, and its for coursework so will update with drafts, its only short but yeah)
1 INT. SCHOOL CORRIDOR-DAY
(Fade in music: Coldplay-Trouble {here if you want to listen})
Fade in camera to long shot of a teenage girl with her head down, walking down a bland school corridor. The corridor is filled on each side with lockers and children. All of the other students are stood staring at her, with disapproving glares. Two tall girls follow quietly behind her and as she goes to turn the corner she is slammed into a locker. She drops her books and pencil case and everyone in the corridor laughs as she bends down to pick them up. Fade out.
2 INT. CLASSROOM - MINUTES LATER
Camera cuts to a high angle shot over the girl who is sat in the middle of the classroom, desk to herself. The students behind her are whispering to each other and laughing.
Suddenly a piece of paper lands on the table in front of the girl. Close up of girl opening the paper, her hands shaky. She almost dares to look back at them before reading the note but isn’t brave enough.
Paper is opened to reveal the word ‘Freak’ and the students roar with the laughter. The girl sighs trying not to cry and placing her head on the table and wraps her arms around it. Fade out.
3 INT. GIRL’S BEDROOM - Evening
Long Shot of the girl sat crossed legged on the bed, her books are laid out beside her and she is typing on her laptop. CU of laptop shows she is on Facebook; she gets a notification and clicks onto it.
It links onto her wall where the comment ‘You’re disgusting’ is written. A chain of these comments follows, including quick extreme close ups of the words ‘loser’, ‘unnatural’ and ‘die’ which fill the whole screen. Fade out.
4 INT. GIRL’S BATHROOM - NIGHT
Extreme close up of the bath. We see the water running a filling up the bath slowly and can hear the girl in the bathroom but we can’t see her.
We see a leg come into the frame as she climbs into the bath. Camera softly moves to a medium shot. The girl leans over the bath to pick something up of the floor. As she raises it in her hands the object is revealed to be a razor blade. Shakily she raises it to her to her wrist; she takes a deep breath before moving the razor across her skin. We see a glint of red and then the room fades to black.
The room fades back in into a long shot, the water in the bath is now a deep red and the girl is laying still. She is not breathing. Her arm hangs over the side of the bath and a few drops of blood fall onto the floor. Fade out.
(Fade out music)
5 INT. Mental hospital sitting room- DAY
High angle shots shows a dozen people sat round in a circle, one of them (the psychiatrist) is holding a clipboard. Slide in a medium shot of the psychiatrist
Psyciatrist:
It appears we have a few new members; please can you stand up, introduce yourselves to the group and explain in your own words why you are here.
One by one three people stand up, we can see them speaking but we can hear no dialogue, cut into a medium shot of the girl in the scenes before as she stands up to take her turn.
Girl
(Shyly and with a shaky voice)
I’m Taylor and I’m here because I like girls.
A round of applause as she sits back down. Camera focuses back on the room as a whole.
Psychiatrist
Now, I want to you all to write how you would describe yourself, or how others have described you on here.
Hands out a piece of transparency paper to each of the people in the room and there are a few seconds of quiet as they write down the words. Psychiatrist looks up to check how they are doing and sees that mostly all of them have finished writing.
Psychiatrist
(Continuing)
Taylor would you like to go first?
Taylor nods and the camera follows her as she places the paper underneath the projector. She stands in front of the whiteboard as the words she has written down appear in red across her. There is a mixture of words such as ‘devil’, ‘freak’, ‘rug muncher’, ‘bitch’. Fade to black.
6 INT. PSYCHIATRIST’S OFFICE - DAY
Taylor is sat in the chair facing the psychiatrist’s desk, camera cuts to a mid shot of the two characters.
Psychiatrist
So Taylor how are you feeling today? You’ve been here about two weeks, have we had any improvements?
Taylor twirls her hair looking down at the floor
Taylor
Better…I suppose…I know it’s okay now…it’s not…unnatural
Psychiatrist scribbles down on a pad
Psychiatrist
Good…good…and what word would you use to describe yourself now?
Taylor
Normal.
Psychiatrist
Why this word, why would you use this word to describe yourself?
Taylor looks up gaining a little more confidence. However keeps rubbing her hands over each other.
Taylor
Because…because I am normal. I’m no different to any other girl in my school, I go shopping, I read magazines, I wear the same clothes. The only thing that’s different is while they swoon over Josh Hutcherson, I prefer the pictures of Jennifer Lawrence.
Psychiatrist throws Taylor a big smile.
Psychiatrist
That sounds like you’re making a lot of progress, well done Taylor. I think that’s going to be all for today.
7 INT. GAMES ROOM IN THE MENTAL HOSPITAL - DUSK
Fades in, half way through a conversation
Female patient at the hospital
…Did you see that film? The one with what’s her face?…I can’t remember it, the one where there’s zombies and a computer in some underground building place.
Taylor
You mean er..erm Resident Evil?
female patient
Yes that’s the one, have you seen it?
Taylor nods smiling, she pauses for a minute before a serious expression fills her face camera moves to close up and then back to a medium shot.
taylor
So er…what are…what are in here for? If you don’t mind me asking
female patient
It’s fine
Smiles warmly at Taylor
female patient
(continuing)
I have a major condition of schizophrenia…I’ve taken the tablets but it doesn’t help so I came in here to make things less confusing. You?
Camera moves to focus on a close up of Taylor
Taylor
I’m here because of my sexuality. They all used to call me a freak, but I understand now, I’m not a freak, they just don’t know how to accept it. That makes them weak not me.
Taylor looks up at the girl, nervously awaiting a reply
Female Patient
So you’re homosexual. Cool, most of my friends are. I’m Alice by the way. Alice Logan.
(offers out her hand to shake)
Fade out.
8 INT. BEDROOM IN THE MENTAL HOSPITAL - DAY
Knocking on Taylor’s door, camera cuts to medium shot as she gets up to open it, and one of the doctor’s is revealed.
Doctor
Are you excited to be going home today?
Taylor
I can’t wait…everything’s packed…I just want to go now
Taylor laughs happily
taylor
(continuing)
Thank you…thank you for everything
Doctor
You’re welcome…that’s what we are here for…if you ever need help again you can call this number.
(hands her a card)
It’s the number for here, then you can talk to anyone, me, any of the other doctor’s. Anyone you made friends with if they’re still here. If you need help call it.
Taylor takes the card and places it carefully into her pocket.
Taylor
I will, I promise.
Doctor
Good luck Taylor, we’re going to miss you
Doctor gives Taylor a quick hug before sending her a smile and walking out of the room and shutting the door. Scene fades out as the door is closed.
9 INT. TAYLOR’S BEDROOM - DUSK
Taylor walks into her room and dumps her bags down onto her bed, she walks over to her desk and switches on the light, as she turns around a piece of paper catches her eye, she picks it up and the camera pans into a close up on the paper, it’s the note that got throw to her into class. She takes a deep breath and crumples it up, throwing it into her bin.
She looks across her room again and her eyes stop on a razor, her breaths deepen as she walks over to it. She picks it up and twirls it in her hand.
She jumps suddenly as something hits her window, she turns around to see the remains of an egg, walking over to the window she opens it. She looks down to find the tall girl’s from the corridor laughing. They throw an egg in her direction but she avoids it. They shout obscenities at her. Taylor bunches her hands up into fists in an attempt to keep herself calm.
Taylor
(screaming)
Leave me alone! Just leave me alone!
She slams the window closed and picks up the razor again. Fade to black.
10 EXT. GRAVEYARD - DUSK
Long shot of a gathering of people around an open grave, the vicar is partly through his speech. The people gathered are all crying hysterically.
Vicar
…and may she rest in peace
Fade out to black and quickly fade back in to show a girl standing over the newly made grave. She bends down and places a bunch of flowers on the ground in front of it. As she turns to walk away, the camera moves to a close up and we see that it is Taylor who placed the flowers. Camera glides past her and moves to an extreme close up of the grave, it reads ‘here lies Alice Logan, loving sister and daughter’. Fade out to black.
