'Of Unsound Minds' Screenplay draft 2

‘Of Unsound Minds’ script 2

Character list-

Rob, Doc, Voices, Daniel.

Rob is unable to get to sleep and is uncomfortable in bed. He is wriggling about a lot and the camera cuts to a clock showing that it is 2AM. He looks over towards the clock and throws the duvet off of him in frustration before getting up and walking over to the bathroom.

Starts in bedroom, a character is tossing and turning in his bed trying to get to sleep. He gets up and goes to the toilet to wash his face. Goes to small toilet/bathroom Rob is standing staring into a mirror on the wall, he has his hands placed on a sink. His head is bent down and he is hunched over. Rob is in pyjamas and he looks down at his bare hands- they are normal.

Rob:

My hands, these are not my hands. My hands would not do such awful things. (pause)

My brain, this is not my brain. My brain would not allow me to think these things. (pause)

(Rob is pulling at his eyes whilst looking into the mirror) My eyes, these cannot be MY EYES. They would never see these things. Surely this person that I am, the person that I have become is not me. It cannot be.

Rob splashes his face with water and stands staring at himself in the mirror for a few seconds.

Rob:

No it isn’t me. I know that it isn’t. Nothing anyone says can make me believe that this is me. I wouldn’t ever do such a thing.

Rob’s personality changes and he becomes more fierce and resilient.

Rob:

What are you on about? This is you? It has always been you.

This is you! This the person you are now, the person you have always been. Liam and the doc are wrong this has always been you. They don’t know you. They don’t understand you- how would they understand what is going on in your head? They aren’t you.

Rob reaches for the cupboard and pulls out a fresh bar of soap. When he reappears he looks in the mirror and his appearance in the mirror has changed. The real Rob steps back in fear and begins to touch his face.

Doc:
Hello Rob. How are you today? I heard you talking to yourself what is wrong today? I don’t want you to suffer, I thought you were getting better, but maybe you do need my help after all.

Rob rubs his eyes looks down at the sink and looks back up at the mirror. The doctor has disappeared and he stands looking at himself in the mirror in disbelief.

Rob:
Why do I see these things? Doc, why do I see these things?
(No Reply)
Doc? Doc? There’s not even anything there. Why does my mind play tricks on me. This isn’t fair. Doc please don’t ignore me- I need help. Today of all days I really do need your help.
(Pause- Silence)

Rob smacks his fist against the basin and lowers his head.

Rob:
No this is not me, my brain does not work like this! I do not see these things around me. I don’t! I don’t.

Rob cripples to the floor and scrunches himself down into a ball with his head between his knees.

Voices:
1.Rob, listen you have got to stand up. Face me. Face this.

2.You are giving in Rob. We told you that you would give in. We always knew that you would give in.

3. You need to listen Rob, now is not the time to give in. Not any day, but especially not today.

Rob:

I can’t get up. I cannot face this anymore. I don’t want to face this. I don’t want to face you. I don’t want to face anything no more. No one can help me as no one understands me, I have nothing to live for no more, especially today I don’t deserve to face this.

Rob changes back to being stern. His head lifts up from his lap and you see his hand clench into a fist.

Rob:

Get up! You will get up! Do you want people to find out? Find out about us? Find out about what we did? No. I didn’t think that you would, so you need to get up now and face this.

Rob raises back to his feet and brushes himself down. He grasps the soap in his hand and starts vigorously washing away at his hands. He looks down at his hands and they are clean. He looks up in the mirror for a few seconds, you see his face become visibly weaker and he looks back down towards his hands which are now covered in blood. There is a knife covered in blood resting on the side of the sink.

Voice:

Rob Linderman- You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you.

Sirens begin to echo around in Rob’s head.

Rob:
They have found us. They’ve found us Liam- I can’t do this I can’t lie to them.

Rob personality change. Stern faced and resilient.

Rob:

What are you on about? Nothing is going on, it’s all in your head- they won’t find us. They have absolutely no way of finding us.

Banging continues on the door.

Voice:

Rob Linderman you know you’re in their. Come out with your hands on your head, or we will have to act with force.

Rob:

What are you waiting for, go outside and face them

Becomes fierce

No! This is all in your head, no one is outside, no one is coming for us. No one knows what happened

Harsh banging continues in the background with the dialogue, pale person appears in the mirror talking to Rob

Victim:

What did I ever do to you Rob? Why did I deserve this? Why did you kill me?

Rob storms out of Bathroom to front door. When he opens it he expects the policemen at the door but sees a dead body lying there.

Cut to black