DARKNESS FALLS IN BACKGROUND by RUWANI OPATHA INT. MEG'S ROOM – DAY (WORLD 1) CHARLOTTE, a 21-year-old female student, is sleeping on the loft of Meg's room. She is slowly awakening, blinking several times to clear her eyes. Her best friend, MEG, walks over to Charlotte. Charlotte smiles as she recognizes her friend. MEG Have a nice nap? CHARLOTTE Not really… I had that dream again… MEG Again? That's not a good sign. CHARLOTTE Tell me about it… and I'm starting to dream of it more often. I'm letting my dreams affect the real world. MEG Well, maybe… I have a friend who might be able to help you. Dammit. I'm late for class. Mind letting yourself out? Help yourself to whatever! Charlotte laughs softly. She slowly moves around, trying to wake up. Eventually she crawls out of the loft. She looks through Meg's fridge and pulls out a bottled drink. She shakes the drink as she walks to the door. She sets the drink down as she reaches for her books. Suddenly, there's a knock at the door. Charlotte opens the door. CHAGNEY Hey, is Meg in? CHARLOTTE No, she ran off to class. Can I help you? CHAGNEY Nah, that's okay. I'll just try to catch her later. Have we met before? CHARLOTTE I don't know. You look kinda familiar, though. What's your name again? CHAGNEY Charlotte! It's been forever! CHARLOTTE Um… excuse me... but… you are…? CHAGNEY It's ME! Chagney! Don't tell me that you've forgotten me. It couldn't have been that long since we last saw each other CHARLOTTE Oh my gods! Chagney! Gods... I have seen you since… CHAGNEY I stole your teddy bear back from those my friends. What has his name again…? Joey…? CHARLOTTE I think you're the one with the faulty memory.. I remember stealing Johnny back from you! CHAGNEY Still haven't lost that violent streak I see. Man, it has been a while. CHARLOTTE Yeah, I always regretted that we lost touch after middle school. CHAGNEY Hey! I didn't know you went to school here! CHARLOTTE Yeah! I just got here. It's a bit of a change from what I'm used to. Hopefully, I won't get too homesick. CHAGNEY Hey, how's your family doing? Still you and your dad, right? CHARLOTTE …Actually, it's just me now. Dad died in a car crash recently. CHAGNEY Oh my… I'm really sorry, 'Lotte. I know that you two were really close. Heh, I still remember how we used to all just hang out around your house. How your dad would start a barbaque for us… usually end up burning it... but we'd all have a good time. CHARLOTTE Yeah… thanks, Chagney. I'm glad you're here. Hey, would you mind walking me to my class? CHAGNEY Still late for everything, huh… The door closes behind them. **the drink that Charlotte left on the desk is no longer there** INT. CABARET – DAY (WORLD 1) CHARLOTTE I appreciate what you're trying to do, Meg, but I really don't think that there's anything anyone can do. I mean, it isn't like it's life-threatening or anything. It's just a silly dream. MEG …which you have every time you fall asleep. That's not normal, hon. CHARLOTTE So what's this friend of yours supposed to be able to – A girl is standing on stage. She's singing with a strong voice devoid of emotion, but full of force. GIRL "And still I dream he'll come to me That we will live the years together But there are dreams that cannot be And there are storms we cannot weather" A guy on stage stops the music. He walks over to the girl, talking to her. Simultaneously, ERIC, dressed completely in black with silver rings on his fingers, appears behind the Charlotte and Meg, who are too busy looking ahead at the stage to realize he's behind them. ERIC Oooh. Unfortunately, I came a few moments too early. MEG ERIC! I'm glad you made it! Have a seat. This is the friend I was telling about. This is Charlotte. CHARLOTTE Hello. A pleasure to meet you. ERIC Likewise. MEG Now, what did you mean, "a moment too soon"?! You're 10 minutes late! ERIC I'm just sorry that I had to listen to that girl, that's all. MEG What was wrong with her? She has a beautiful voice in my opinion. CHARLOTTE No… I'm inclined to agree with Eric. She may have a nice voice, but she shouldn't sing that role that way. Hmm… it'll be interesting to see who they cast in her role. ERIC Besides. Look at her. She doesn't look anything like the character. CHARLOTTE Hmm, I see nothing wrong with her appearance. Granted, she doesn't look like the most conventional— ERIC You like musicals? CHARLOTTE I love them! My father and I… I used to see them quite often. MEG Well, it seems that you two are well acquainted enough. I've got to run. Damn class. CHARLOTTE But wait. Meg! I swear… that girl… ERIC So, Meg tells me that you have a recurring dream. CHARLOTTE Well, yeah… ERIC Tell me about it. We'll have two chais. CHARLOTTE Thanks. I love chais. Well, it's more like a recurring nightmare… INT – (WORLD 2) There's just a blur of sound and lights. Things seem to be moving in slow motion and all the sounds are muffled. There are streaks of yellow light in the "background" and there's some color in the "foreground" but you can't make out anything specific. CHARLOTTE (v.o.) It scares me. I don't even know why it's so disturbing. I can't really hear or see anything. Maybe that's why it bothers me so much. All I can do is feel, even though all my senses are numbed. All I know is that fear. INT CABARET – DAY (WORLD 1) The waitress comes by with their drinks. ERIC Thank you. Intriguing… I think I understand. I think we have a lot in common. I can help you. CHARLOTTE Really? How? You'll have to forgive me if I don't have much faith in your ability to make me stop the dreams. I just met you… tell me about yourself. ERIC Well, there really isn't much… GIRL "I had a dream my life would be So different from this hell I'm living So different now from what it seems Now life has killed the dream I dream" INT. – (WORLD 2) More lights and colors and sounds. In general, a lot of confusion and nothing concrete. EXT. GAZEBO AND GRAVEYARD – DAY (WORLD 1) Charlotte is lying on a bench, tossing back and forth as she dreams. Chagney, walking by, sees her and runs to her side. CHAGNEY Hey.. Wake up. You're having a nightmare. CHARLOTTE Chagney! CHAGNEY Whoa. Calm down. It's okay. I'm here. Nothing can harm you. What's wrong? CHARLOTTE My dreams… I keep having this nightmare. I don't know why, but it always scares me. It really shouldn't; it's nothing more than a lot of confusing lights and sounds, but… CHAGNEY It's okay. It's over for now. That'll teach you to take naps in such random places. Why are you out here anyway? CHARLOTTE I like it here. It's so peaceful. Plus, this way I can be near Dad… CHAGNEY Eh, my pager. Sorry, 'Lotte. CHARLOTTE It's important isn't it? CHAGNEY Well, not especially… CHARLOTTE That's okay. I'll still be here. Go ahead. CHAGNEY I'll be back as soon as possible. Charlotte sits back against the bench of the gazebo. She starts to hum "I Still Believe." Eric walks up behind her. He's standing in the graveyard. ERIC "My heart, against all odds, holds still…" CHARLOTTE Eric! You startled me. What're you doing here? ERIC I knew I'd find you here. I would've tried to make it out here sooner, but I had to make a phone call first. Join me. There's something that I must show you. It'll help you understand those dreams better. CHARLOTTE I'd like to, but I told Chagney that I'd— ERIC Oh, don't worry. I'll have you back in no time. I just wanted to show you something in the graveyard. CHARLOTTE Um… well, if it doesn't take too long… I suppose… EXT. GRAVEYARD – DAY (WORLD 1) CHARLOTTE Dad… Why are we here, Eric? ERIC Does this world seem right to you? Before I met you, this world held nothing of interest to me. But you… we have so much to offer to each other. I want to help you understand, Charlotte. CHARLOTTE I'd like to understand. But why do we… ERIC Tell me about how your father died. CHARLOTTE Why? What does that have to do with— ERIC Please. Just tell me. CHARLOTTE He was driving down the highway when a truck merged into his lane, right on top of his car. I saw the entire thing. ERIC So you were in the car? CHARLOTTE Um… yeah… I guess I was... but I don't remember… ERIC I'm not surprised that you don't remember. Are you sure he's dead? CHARLOTTE Of course he's dead! I saw him die! ERIC What about the funeral? What happened at the funeral? CHARLOTTE Um... well… I don't… there was a funeral… I'm sure... but… ERIC But you don't remember. Look at the headstone, Charlotte. Stare at it. Now, close your eyes. This world is yours to create and design. But before you can do that, you need to see things as they truly are. Open your eyes. Charlotte opens her eyes. The tombstone is no longer there. She starts to hyperventilate and drops to her knees. INT – (WORLD 2) The blurred images once more. This time, the images last for much longer. The sounds are much louder, but still sound muffled. The blurred image of the back of a person's hand is seen. The hand is reaching out, but grasps nothing but the blurriness. CHARLOTTE (v.o.) Help me. A bright flash of white light. INT. CHAGNEY'S ROOM – DAY (WORLD 1) Charlotte wakes up on a beanbag on the floor. She's now wearing a white flowing shirt and jeans. She looks up and sees Chagney sitting at his desk, typing something on his computer. After a moment he notices she's awake. He turns in his chair to face her. CHARLOTTE How did I get here? CHAGNEY What's the last thing you remember? CHARLOTTE DAMMIT! Why won't anyone answer my questions?! First Eric and now you— CHAGNEY Eric? Who's that? CHARLOTTE He's this guy that Meg introduced me to. He's trying to help me figure out these dreams. We… we were in the graveyard… and dad's tombstone… It must have been a dream. CHAGNEY You can't exist in this world like this. CHARLOTTE What? CHAGNEY I love you, 'Lotte. I always have. That's why you need to get out of here. Before it's too late. INT. CABARET – NIGHT (WORLD 1) Charlotte and Chagney walk up onto the stage, hand in hand. CHARLOTTE This is where I first met Eric. We argued about a girl who was singing here. I think they were doing trying outs for that new acting group. CHAGNEY I don't think we have much more time together. Not here, anyway. Looks like someone lost an ring. CHARLOTTE You're being so random tonight… CHAGNEY So what were the girl singing. CHARLOTTE Um, well, she was singing a song from Les Mis. CHAGNEY Really? I love "Castle on a Cloud." CHARLOTTE Yeah, that's so cute. Chagney sings Valjean's accompaniment. Charlotte wanders over to the stool in the middle of the stage, still singing. Her back is turned to Chagney. Chagney's voice fades out, and Eric's replaces his. Charlotte suddenly realizes that change of voices and spins around. CHARLOTTE Eric! Where's Chagney? What's going on? ERIC Charlotte… He's fine. He just let us have some time alone. CHARLOTTE Like hell. He doesn't like you at all. I don't think I do either. What did you do earlier to my father's grave? What are you? ERIC Charlotte, I thought you would start to understand by now, but I see that you've been far too influenced by that insolent boy. This is not the world that you once knew. You are now, essentially, a goddess. CHARLOTTE Stop this. Leave me alone. You're supposed to be helping me, but you're only making things worse. ERIC Haven't you noticed? Things in this world have changed to your liking and preference. This world is above and beyond what you once knew. And you and I can control it. Everyone else is a pawn in our game. CHARLOTTE I don't believe y— ERIC The tombstone. It was there one second, but gone the next. Same with Chagney. I can appear before you whenever I like. You can do the same thing. CHARLOTTE That's not true. ERIC Then, do you remember walking over here? Do you remember walking anywhere? No. You have the same ability I do. We're the same. How else could I do this… INT. MEG'S ROOM – NIGHT (WORLD 1) Meg and Chagney are sitting together and studying. They don't notice that Eric and Charlotte are standing off to the side. Charlotte looks at them as Eric looks at Charlotte. ERIC …and this… EXT. FRANKLIN STREET – DAY (WORLD 1) There are people everywhere. No one is paying particular attention to them. ERIC …and this… EXT. GAZEBO – NIGHT (WORLD 1) ERIC The world is ours to design as we wish. CHARLOTTE This isn't right… this entire thing… ERIC (v.o.) It's real enough. Here we won't have to feel any pain, any suffering. "Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before. Let your soul take you where you long to be." (Fades to black.) CHARLOTTE (v.o.) This isn't real. Help me. INT. HOSPITAL ROOM – NIGHT (WORLD 2) Meg, wearing winter clothing, is sitting next to Charlotte's bed, holding her hand. A DOCTOR is standing off to the side, holding her clipboard. Charlotte is lying on the bed in a hospital gown. A white bandage is wrapped around her skull. Chagney enters, carrying a bouquet of flowers. DOCTOR May I help you? CHAGNEY Yeah, is this Charlo— Oh my god. I'm a friend of Charlotte. We grew up together… DOCTOR Ah, Mr. Chagney, I presume. Charlotte's father told me that you'd be visiting soon. I'm glad he was able to contact you. MEG Hello. I'm Meg, her best friend. I've heard a lot about you, Chagney. CHAGNEY Nice to meet you. What's wrong? Is she in a coma or something? DOCTOR Well, she suffered a severe head trauma when she and her father got into that accident. It's a miracle that her father was able to walk away from it with only a broken arm. CHAGNEY But what about 'Lotte? Is she braindead? Why isn't she awake yet?? DOCTOR She isn't braindead. Quite the contrary. She's in a coma. It's almost as if she's in a dreamlike state. Well, I should be going. I have other patients to visit. MEG Okay. I'll follow you out. I wanted to ask you a few more questions. CHAGNEY Charlotte…You can't exist in this world like this.