As I recall it....

8/7/2019 As I recall it....

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/as-i-recall-it 1/14

"As I recall it...."

By Aaron Hill

Aaron Hill

Theater III classPurple Day, 5th Hour



INT. HOUSE IN ST. LOUIS- AFTERNOON- 2:30 PM

There is a vase of White Lilies sitting on the kitchen tableand the door bell rings. Camera pans, crossing a wall andseeing a hallway with a front door at the end. The house isobviously well cleaned.

JOHN enters from left and walks down the foyer to open thedoor. He is dressed nicely and walks with confidence in hisstride.

John opens the door, revealing DR. HARRISON. Dr. Harrison isdressed nicely, business wear.

JOHNHello? How may I help you?

DR. HARRISONHello, my name is Dr. George

Harrison and my car seems to havebroken down outside of your house.

JOHN(Even toned)

I am sorry to hear that.

DR. HARRISONYes, I have called a mechanic. MayI come in and wait until he arrivesso he can look at my car?

JOHN

Of course.

John steps aside as Dr. Harrison enters through the door.The house is very beautiful and has artwork everywhere. Alot of the paintings in the house are of flowers. On thecoffee table there is a pot of white flowers. A fireplacewith pictures is on the farthest wall.

Dr. Harrison sits down on the couch.

John sits in a chair with an ottoman in front of him. Thereis a silence between them for a moment while they stare ateach other, searching for something to say. Dr. Harrisontakes notice of the paintings.

DR. HARRISONThose are very pretty.

JOHN(Looks at one of thepaintings.)

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)



CONTINUED: 2.

JOHN (cont’d)Thank you, I painted them myself.

DR. HARRISONThey are very well done.

JOHNThank you.

DR. HARRISONYou like painting flowers?

JOHNYes, they are my favorite. Iespecially love lilies.

DR. HARRISONReally? Well none of these seem tobe of lilies.

JOHNNo, I suppose they are not.

Dr. Harrison looks around.

DR. HARRISONWho is that in those pictures.

JOHNMy mother. I loved her so much...while she was alive.

DR. HARRISONOh, I’m so sorry to hear about yourloss.

JOHNIt’s okay. At least now she is in abetter place.

Both parties sit across from each other. There is an awkwardsilence between them.

JOHNMay I offer you a drink?

DR. HARRISONYes, actually, that sounds good.

JOHN(Getting up from his seat))

What would you like?

(CONTINUED)



CONTINUED: 3.

DR. HARRISONDo you have any coffee?

JOHN(Shouts)

NO!

PAUSE

JOHNNo, I don’t. I never drink coffee.

DR. HARRISONWhy is that?

JOHNI... I do not remember. Is thereanything else I may offer you?Wine? Beer? Lemonade? Water?

DR. HARRISONIced water will be fine.

JOHNVery well then.

John goes to get the water. Dr. Harrison pulls out a notepadand starts to write quickly. John reenters, holding the icewater.

JOHNWhat are you doing?

DR. HARRISONOh, nothing. I’m just making a fewnotes for later, is all.

JOHNOh. For what, may I ask?

DR. HARRISONJust some reminders for later.

John gives him his water and Dr. Harrison takes a sip.

DR. HARRISONAren’t you going to have anything?

JOHNNo, I don’t feel thirsty.

John sits back down and looks at Dr. Harrison, as ifstudying him over. He does this for awhile.

(CONTINUED)



CONTINUED: 4.

Pause

DR. HARRISONSo, what are your hobbies?

JOHNNothing much. I read and listen to

the radio. Of course, I love topaint, as I’ve mentioned before.

DR. HARRISONYes. You mentioned that you likedlilies?

JOHNYes, I love them.

DR. HARRISONWhy is that?

JOHNI think they are pretty. They havea certain elegance, one might say.

DR. HARRISONAnd they have a certain reputation.They are usually used at funeralsand are associated with death.

JOHNTrue, but does that make them anyless beautiful?

DR. HARRISONNo, I guess it does not.

JOHNI remember, my mother always had avase of lilies in the housewhenever I was growing up. I guessthat’s why I like them so much...because of her.

DR. HARRISONHow did she die?

JOHNIt’s a sad, tragic story. You see Ihad a sister, Emma. When she was ababy my mother was stressed out.She had postpartum depression aftershe had my sister, you see. So oneday she killed herself because ofthe stress.

(CONTINUED)



CONTINUED: 5.

DR. HARRISONI’m so sorry. How did she do it?

JOHNGunshot to the head.

DR. HARRISON

Again, I am so sorry for your loss.

JOHNThank you.

PAUSE

JOHNYou said you were a doctor?

DR. HARRISONYes, I did.

JOHNAre you medical?

DR. HARRISONIn a way. I am a psychologist. Iwork with the clinically insane atthe local sanatorium.

JOHNAh, interesting. You know, I’vealways wondered how some peoplesurvive working in places like thatwithout going completely mentalthemselves. It must take quite apowerful mind to handle that.

DR. HARRISONYes, it is difficult, but it ispossible.

JOHNSo what exactly do you do with yourpatients?

DR. HARRISON

Well, I ask them questions, try tounderstand why they are in thestate that they are in andprescribe a treatment to cure them.

JOHNWhat about those who cannot becured?

(CONTINUED)



CONTINUED: 6.

DR. HARRISONWell, nothing can be done then.

JOHNSo they just... sit there forever?

DR. HARRISONWell, obviously not forever. They,like everyone, eventually pass.

JOHNTrue.

PAUSE

Dr. Harrison finishes his glass of water.

JOHNWould you like some more water,

doctor?

DR. HARRISONYes, please.

John gets up to make get some more ice water for him. Dr.Harrison takes out his notepad and jots down some more noteson the pad as quickly as he can.

John looks over while getting the water and takes notice ofDr. Harrison writing in his notepad. He walks over and giveshim his water. Dr. Harrison puts his notepad away.

DR. HARRISONThank you.

Dr. Harrison takes a sip.

JOHNYou’re welcome.

PAUSE

DR. HARRISONTell me something... do you thinkthat a mother could harm her childand not feel a little bit guiltyabout it?

John looks stunned by this question and takes a moment toanswer.

(CONTINUED)



CONTINUED: 7.

JOHNAnything is possible, I suppose.However, she would have to becrazy. Why do you ask?

DR. HARRISON

Oh, I was reading a very intriguingarticle in the Post-Dispatch. Amother killed her child, a littlebaby, and did not even feel athing. I find it fascinating...that a mother would want to end thelife of their child willingly. Youknow, I once heard of a father whokilled his daughter because shespilled her milk just one moretime. He strangled her. Some kindof odd mental disorder that he hadfrom birth, I believe.

JOHNI cannot imagine somebody doingsomething like that. I guess thatgives all new meaning to the phrase"Don’t cry over spilled milk".

DR. HARRISONIndeed... indeed it does.

PAUSE

JOHN

Are you a married man?

DR. HARRISONYes.

JOHNAny children?

DR. HARRISONTwo daughters. One is 14 andanother is 8.

JOHNThat’s good. Children are great

DR. HARRISONYes, at times they can be littlemonsters but most of the time theyare a real joy.

(CONTINUED)



CONTINUED: 8.

JOHNYeah... do you think, though, thatthere are some children who shouldnot even be born?

DR. HARRISON(Perplexed)

What do you mean?

JOHNI mean, do you think that there aresome children that are not exactlyborn right, like they should neverhave been conceived? Like unholychildren?

DR. HARRISONDo you mean, like, children of thedevil?

JOHNExactly.

DR. HARRISONI do not think that there arechildren that come from evil. Ithink that everyone by nature isborn pure and good. So, do youbelieve a child could be born evil?

JOHNWell, if a child can be borngood... why can’t they be born

evil?

DR. HARRISONI disagree.

JOHNThen what about the patients youtreat? You can’t say that they wereborn good.

DR. HARRISONThere is a difference between beingborn good and being born with amental disease. Good does not meanperfect.

JOHNBut what about those who haveillnesses where they do bad thingson purpose?

(CONTINUED)



CONTINUED: 9.

DR. HARRISONThey cannot control it, it does notmean that deep down they do notwant to do good. We just have toteach them how to do it.

JOHNI disagree.

DR. HARRISONTouché.

PAUSE

DR. HARRISONAre you sure you don’t remember whyyou don’t like coffee?

JOHN

No, I don’t.

DR. HARRISONHow was your father?

JOHNMy father? My dad was like mostdads... he loved his family.However, right after mom died hestarted to go crazy. He could stillbring in money, but it was me whopractically raised my sister. Heactually said once that I was the

one who killed her! That’s howcrazy he was.

DR. HARRISONI am so sorry.

JOHNI mean, me? Kill my mother? That’scrazy.

Dr. Harrison takes out his notepad again and begins toscribble into it.

JOHNMay I see what you’re writing?

DR. HARRISONNo, I’d rather you did not.

(CONTINUED)



CONTINUED: 10.

JOHNOkay, I just thought I would ask.

PAUSE

JOHN

What time is it?

DR. HARRISONI’d say about close to three.

JOHNYes.

DR. HARRISONJohn, tell me about your childhood.What was it like?

JOHN

You know, if I did not know anybetter I’d say you were treating melike one of your patients, askingme all of these questions.

DR. HARRISONWhy would you say that?

JOHNWell, you said you were apsychiatric doctor at the mentalhospital. You just happen to showup here, unannounced, and start

asking all of these questions.Seems kind of funny.

DR. HARRISON(To himself)

She’s catching on.

JOHNShe? Who is she? What are youtalking about?

DR. HARRISON(Pulls out his notepad)

The lilies, the coffee, therejection of the father....

JOHNI demand you tell me what is goingon here! Now!

(CONTINUED)



CONTINUED: 11.

DR. HARRISON(To John)

John, listen to me... you are notJohn Morrison.

JOHN

How did you know my last name?

DR. HARRISONLet me tell you a story. There wasa woman, young, about 22, and shehad a son. She believed that herson was the spawn of a demon and soone day she killed her baby. Eversince then she has believed thatshe is her dead son and that it wasshe who died. That woman, JohnMorrison, is you.

Mrs. Morrison has replaced John. She has stringy hair anddingy clothing on.

MRS. HARRISONNo! It’s not true! I am John! Notmy mother!

DR. HARRISONYou are currently in the St. LouisPsychiatric Rehabilitation Center.This house, this life, this worldis a projection! It’s not real!

MRS. HARRISONNo! You lie! GET OUT! GET OUT!

INT. MORRISON HOUSE- DAY TIME- 3:00 PM

A pot of lilies are on the table, in the background Mrs.Morrison is at the counter with her baby. The baby is cryingand she looks tired. She calmly places the baby in the sinkand picks up the hot coffee from the coffee maker. She thenpours the hot coffee on the baby, silencing it. We hear thesound of the father coming on.

DR. HARRISONHoney, I’m home. I bought some morelilies for... SARAH! WHAT DID YOUDO? WHAT DID YOU DO TO JOHN!

MRS. HARRISONWhat are you talking about, dad?Mom’s been dead for years now. It’s

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)



CONTINUED: 12.

MRS. HARRISON (cont’d)me, John? What are you doing in myhouse?

INT. SANATORIUM HALLWAY.

Dr. Harrison exits door and locks it behind him. A nurse iswaiting for him.

NURSEHow did it go?

DR. HARRISONNot well, I’m afraid. She hascreated a world where she is deadand that her son is alive. She’seven created a fake sister for him.

NURSE

Do you think that she will ever bewell again?

DR. HARRISONNo. In my professional opinion shehas what we would call a severecase of Dissociative IdentityDisorder, brought on by an extremetraumatic event. The event in thiscase being that she killed our son.

INT. HOUSE IN ST. LOUIS- AFTERNOON- 3:05 PM

John is sitting in the chair. He is emotionless and distant.

MRS. HARRISON (V.O)How dare he say that I am mymother. My mother killed herselfand it was because of my sister. Icannot help that she was depressedafter Emma was born. My father...the crazy man... how do I know hedid not pull the trigger on mymother. That does not matterthough, I have my paintings and mylilies... my beautiful lilies. Ifeel so sorry for that man. He musthave been delusional or a lunatic.Why else would he say that I was mymother. He must have been apsycho... that’s all he was... apsycho.

(CONTINUED)

As I recall it....

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