Reflection 3: Elephant in the Room

MUSIC CUE

INTERIOR HOSPITAL ROOM AMBIENCE

WOMAN

Some things are better left alone, better left unsaid, better not looked at for too long. Staring at something intently can be misconstrued as aggressive as opposed to simply studying it with passion. If satisfying your curiosity requires unlocking a door or disregarding a warning then maybe you deserve the consequences.

MUSIC THEME

ANNOUNCER

This is 13 Reflections. Reflection 3: Elephant in the room.

MUSIC CUE - DARK MAGIC MIRROR WORLD AMBIENCE

NARRATOR

In the world of darkness, Polly presses up against the dark side of the mirror that stands over the sink in her bathroom. On the other side, in the world of warmth and light, only a few feet away her mom Ashley, weeps.

POLLY

Mommy. I’m right here.

NARRATOR

But Ashley can’t hear her daughter’s plea and walks out of the bathroom.

FREYA

She can’t help you. Not in the way you think.

POLLY

What do you mean?

FREYA

It’s not like she can just pluck you out of here.

POLLY

Then how do I get out?

FREYA

I don’t think you can.

POLLY

Then why did you pull me in here?

FREYA

To save you from him.

MONSTER FOOTSTEPS DISTANT GROWLING

POLLY

My mom will save me. You’ll see.

FREYA

She can’t protect you. Not from him.

MONSTER FOOTSTEPS GROWLING MOVES CLOSER KID FOOTSTEPS RUN AWAY

MUSIC CUE - ASHLEY’S HOUSE

NARRATOR

Ray and Ashley sit across from each other at Ashley’s tiny kitchen table. Their dinner is untouched, but the wine in their glasses is low and the wine bottle is empty.

The air is pregnant with unspoken thoughts.

RAY

Why didn't you tell me about your husband? About the murder investigation?

ASHLEY

There are lots of reasons.

RAY

We gotta have trust, Ashley.

ASHLEY

What do you want to know?

RAY

Everything. Start at the beginning.

ASHLEY

Well okay. I was born Ashley Wen. My father was Chinese American and my mother was Filipino.

RAY

Okay maybe not that far back.

ASHLEY

Jonathan and I met in college. I was completing my masters in architecture, he still had a year left in Law school. A year after he passed the bar, I gave birth to Polly and then we got married.

RAY

Fast forward a bit.

ASHLEY

I guess everyone has difficult times in the first years of marriage. Jonathan got a job with Einhorn Industries as a junior corporate lawyer. The pay was good but it was long hours and he had to travel a lot.

RAY

He worked for Einhorn?

ASHLEY

At the old corporate headquarters in Chicago.

ASHLEY FIDGETS WITH HER ZIPPO LIGHTER

ASHLEY

And you know Einhorn’s way of doing business?

RAY

Yeah, grunt work during the day and partying all night.

ASHLEY

Which requires lots of drinking. That’s where the trouble began.

BACKGROUND OF FLASHBACK AMBIENCE GLASSES CLINK

WHISKEY POURS RACEY MUSIC MEN LAUGHING

RAY

So Jonathan couldn’t handle his drink?

ASHLEY

Oh he could handle it fine. He was charming after the first Scotch. He would float like a butterfly after the third. After the fifth he became King Kong.

RAY

Was he violent? I mean did he...?

ASHLEY

One time but once was enough. Polly was never great at sleeping through the night. That night she had a nightmare and wandered into our room.

DISTANT VOICE OF POLLY SLEEPILY CALLING “MOMMY?” ASHLEY

Normal for a kid that age, but Jonathan had just come home after a bender. He was passed out or so I thought. Polly stumbled over his briefcase and that woke Kong.

DISTANT JONATHAN ROARING

DISTANT POLLY SQUEELING REPEATED FISTS IMPACTING FLESH

RAY

He didn’t hit her?

ASHLEY

Instinctively I leapt in front of Polly but he hammered me in the side of the head. I don’t remember much else except that I held Polly to my chest while Kong raged.

RAY

Did you call the cops?

ASHLEY

I didn’t. But the hospital did.

DISTANT HOSPITAL AMBIENCE DISTANT POLICE RADIO CHATTER

ASHLEY

I needed twenty four stitches just above my right ear. The scar is almost gone. That was a month before...

RAY

Before what?

ASHLEY

I was building an add on office just off of our kitchen. This required me to reroute the gas lines. As usual, Kong had passed out upstairs.

WELDING FLAME

ASHLEY

I was in the middle of welding some copper tubing, when Polly shot me with her dart gun.

DART GUN POP

DISTANT POLLY GIGGLING DISTANT FOOTSTEPS ON GRASS

ASHLEY

I chased her into the backyard to play a little dart gun tag and keep her from waking Kong. I could have sworn I switched the gas off.

RAY

What happened?

HUGE EXPLOSION FIRE CRACKLES FIRE TRUCK SIRENS

POLICE RADIO CHATTER

ASHLEY

The house exploded. Jonathan died in the flames.

RAY

It was an accident though. Right?

ASHLEY

Exactly what the police wondered. Given the previous hospital visit, the life insurance policy, and the fact that Polly and were safe in the yard, the police opened a murder investigation.

ASHLEY FIDGETS WITH HER ZIPPO LIGHTER.

ASHLEY

The police investigation allowed the insurance company to deny a payout.

RAY

But it was an accident.

ASHLEY

I like to think so, but memory is a funny thing. The mind does what it does to protect itself. I could have sworn I turned off the gas.

ASHLEY FIDGETS WITH THE ZIPPO LIGHTER

RAY

Will you knock that off?

MOVEMENT AS RAY SNATCHES THE LIGHTER AWAY

ASHLEY

Give it back.

RAY

What’s the inscription say? "TO ASHLEY,

YOU'RE MY ADDICTION I LOVE YOU

WITH ALL MY HEART JOHN"

ASHLEY

Give it back.

SOUND OF A KEY ON THE TABLE

RAY

Here’s your key back. If you can’t trust me with your history, how can you trust me with your key? I should go.

FOOTSTEPS

DOOR OPENS THEN CLOSES

RAY'S THROATY MUSTANG DRIVES AWAY

CUT TO

MUSIC CUE

SHERIFF CRUISER INTERIOR POLICE RADIO CHATTER ENGINE AT SPEED

NARRATOR

Sheriff Gordon drives Agent Lee to the station but her eyes are not on the road. She keeps glancing over at the bundle under Agent Lee’s arm. Tightly wrapped in a plastic bag it looks like a baguette of French bread but every so often, it twitches, writhes and pokes.

SHERIFF

We gonna talk about that thing you’re holding?

AGENT LEE

Is it necessary?

SHERIFF

A girl’s severed arm grabbed your ankle...seems sort of necessary.

AGENT LEE

Is that what you saw?

SHERIFF

Didn’t you?

AGENT LEE

I stumbled, kicked it and it appeared to move.

SHERIFF

Is that why you’ve got it wrapped up tight in that trash bag?

AGENT LEE

It’s evidence.

Under her breath.

SHERIFF

It’s fucked up. That’s what that is.

TURN SIGNAL

CAR SLOWS THEN SPEEDS UP

SHERIFF

Do I need to put that in cold milk or something?

AGENT LEE

It’s not a tooth.

SHERIFF

Mina might want it back.

AGENT LEE

It doesn’t appear to be decaying.

SHERIFF

Because it’s still warm and alive.

AGENT LEE

Let’s see what Billy has to say.

TURN SIGNAL

CAR SLOWS ENGINE SHUTS OFF

CAR DOORS OPEN AND CLOSE SHERIFF PARKING LOT AMBIENCE FOOTSTEPS ON GRAVEL EXTERIOR DOOR OPENS

DEPUTY

Hey Sheriff.

SHERIFF

Deputy have Billy Hazelbob moved into the interrogation room.

DEPUTY

Right away Sheriff. Hey, what you got there Agent Lee?

SHERIFF

You don’t want to know Deputy.

AGENT LEE

Like the Sheriff said. You don’t want to know.

INTERIOR DOOR OPENS THEN CLOSES

A VIDEO CAMERA POWERS UP.

SHERIFF

We are filming this right?

AGENT LEE

I doubt it will be permissible in court.

DOOR OPENS

SHERIFF

Yeah but just in case that arm starts talking in sign language, I wanna be sure not to miss a letter.

AGENT LEE

As you wish Sheriff.

POLICE RADIO CHATTER

SCUFFLING OF FEET HANDCUFFS RATTLE

A CHAIR SCRAPES THE FLOOR

SHERIFF

Thank you Deputy.

DEPUTY

Let me know when you’re done, I’ll be right outside.

SHERIFF

Alright Billy. Your fuck ups have brought down the hammer. This is Special Agent Lee with the FBI.

BILLY

FBI?

SHERIFF

You’re in a world of hurt now Billy. Kidnapping, murder...

BILLY

I didn’t kill anyone.

AGENT LEE

What did you do with the Harker girl?

BILLY

Harker girl?

AGENT LEE

Polly Harker?

BILLY

I didn’t do anything with her.

AGENT LEE

She went missing the same night you went on your rampage.

BILLY

She’s missing? Then you should look in the mirror.

AGENT LEE

We can’t. It’s broken.

BILLY

I had to do it.

SHERIFF

Had to do what?

BILLY

Break the mirror.

SHERIFF

Why? What did it do to you?

BILLY

I was trying to stop it.

SHERIFF

Stop the mirror from what?

BILLY

Not the mirror. The thing inside.

AGENT LEE

Where’s Mina Chu, Billy? What did you do with Mina?

BILLY

I didn’t do anything. That thing snatched Mina.

AGENT LEE

Not all of her.

GARBAGE BAG UNWRAPS.

THUD OF THE ARM LANDING ON THE TABLE THE ARM FLOPS AROUND

BILLY SHRIEKS.

BILLY PULLS AT HIS HANDCUFFS

SHERIFF

DOOR OPENS

Deputy!

SHERIFF

Take him back to his cell.

DEPUTY

Oh my. Oh my. Oh my. That’s not what I think it is.

SHERIFF

Do your job Deputy.

DEPUTY

Come on Billy.

BILLY’S SCREAMS FADE AWAY DOOR CLOSES

SHERIFF

Why did you do that? He’s completely useless now.

AGENT LEE

Yes. A shame really.

ARM THUDS BACK INTO THE GARBAGE BAG

SHERIFF

Oh. You think?

AGENT LEE

I think he might have more to say.

SHERIFF

Yeah but until he stops screaming, he ain’t telling us anything.

MUSIC CUE ASHLEY'S HOUSE

NARRATOR

Ashley plops down on Polly’s bed. She picks up Polly’s pillow and shoves her face into it. She takes a deep breath, smelling the essence of her little girl. Ashley stands up and smoothes the blanket with her hands. She takes a step and kicks something under the bed. It’s Lucy’s storybook.

BED SPRINGS SQUEEK PILLOWS FLUFFED

BARE FOOTSTEPS ON CARPET

HER FOOT BUMPS SOMETHING UNDER THE BED

ASHLEY

What’s that?

ASHLEY GROANS AS SHE BENDS DOWN TO PICK UP

CUT TO

LUCY’S STORYBOOK

ASHLEY

13th reflections?

BARE FOOTSTEPS ON CARPET DOOR OPENS

BARE FOOTSTEPS ON TILE BATHROOM AMBIENCE PAGE TURN

ASHLEY

Face two mirrors to create endless reflections. Hmmm. How am I supposed to do that?

MEDICINE CABINET DOOR OPENS

ASHLEY

There. Done.

PAGE TURN

ASHLEY

Touch the 13th reflection...one, two, three...

MIRROR WORLD AMBIENCE

POLLY

That’s it mom.

FREDDIE

We need to go.

POLLY

But she’s almost there.

FREDDIE

He’s coming.

WET MONSTER FOOTSTEPS GROWLING GROWS CLOSER

POLLY

Wait. Just one more minute.

FREDDIE

No time. He’s here.

BATHROOM AMBIENCE

ASHLEY

...eleven, twelve, thirteen.

EERIE WHOOSH

ASHLEY

Now what?

FINGERS DRUM ON COUNTER

ASHLEY

This is stupid.

BARE FOOT STEPS ON TILE LIGHT SWITCHES OFF EERIE WHOOSH

JELLO SQUISHY WAVE LOW GROWL

DOOR SLOWLY CLOSES

ASHLEY

What the hell?

DOOR SLOWLY OPENS LIGHT SWITCH FLICKS ON LOUD ROAR

Holy Fuck.

ASHLEY SCREAMS MAIN THEME

ASHLEY

ANNOUNCER

13 Reflections.