* * * * *
The bus is a standard school bus, it’s packed with rowdy kids coming back from school. We open with the camera focussed on a road disappearing into the distance, then the camera zooms out from the rear-view mirror of the bus and back down the bus, passing paper aeroplanes, children chewing gum and all kinds of standard teenage activity, couples kissing etc...
Towards the back sits a young lad, this is Jimmy, he’s about 16, though he looks slightly older. He is relatively scrawny, a little spotty, and actually quite handsome. He sits alone, no friends, the camera rotates to view him. He’s sat there looking down at a book, ‘Interview With A Vampire’ by Anne Rice, he’s reading. Books are his only friend.
He glances up and looks down the bus. Towards the front, we can see two girls talking. One has fiery red, wavy hair and a freckly face, this isn’t the one he is interested, no, it’s the girl she’s talking to. The one laughing sweetly, the one with long black hair, fine features... A very pretty young girl. Her name is Rebecca.
We hear Jimmy’s thoughts as the camera slowly closes in on her and time slows as she laughs.
Jimmy’s Thoughts: Rebecca Slade. I still remember her on that day, October 22nd, 1992, laughing with Macey at the front of the school bus. I remember staring at her, her beauty (she turns from Macey and, still smiling, looks directly into his eyes) I remember her looking at me (she smiles and winks) in a way I’d never have hoped she would.
This was Rebecca Slade winking at me, Jimmy Paxton. I could never have imagined then that this girl I was truly infatuated with would actually acknowledge my existence, that loser kid who always sat alone with his books...
The camera zooms in so that it’s just her sweet, smiling face, she turns back to Macey and laughs again. As her mouth opens, the world around her morphs and we see Jimmy kissing her. His mouth moves down from hers to her neck, she lifts her head and gasps, he grasps at her bra straps and gently slides them down her arms. The camera moves up past her gasping mouth and to the window, looking out to the night sky. Moving through the window, towards the night sky, the camera focusses on the moon, then moves down to a hill with two people staring out to the moon. This is Jimmy and Rebecca, a few years later. They are sat next to each other, looking out into space.
Jimmy’s Thoughts: How could I have even dreamed that this girl would feel the same about me? Could anyone have thought it possible that I met my soul-mate at the tender age of 16? My parent’s certainly didn’t and they tried to keep us apart many times but failed. But that night... Damn, I remember it well. August 15th 1989. We were sat upon Sholden Hill, looking out across the world (as he talks, the two will move as decided by the director. Personally, I imagine them talking to each other, him kissing her hand etc...) as if nothing else matter. Back then, nothing else did. We were both young, still together and... well...
(His voice dies and we see the Jimmy on the hill turn himself right to face Rebecca. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a little box.)
Jimmy: Rebecca... Would you make me the happiest man alive? Will you marry me?
(Cue romantic music droning out any reply, she is taken aback with glee and we see that immediately she accepts with a large, ecstatic nod. They both jump to their feet and embrace)
Jimmy’s Thoughts: When she accepted, we began drawing plans immediately. (Screen fades to black) Again, my parents were determined to stop the proceedings, so much so that (screen comes up again with Rebecca in a beautiful white wedding dress, stood at the altar next to Jimmy. The camera rotates and we see Rebecca’s parents and two empty seats) they weren’t invited to the proceedings. (The camera rotates again. We see them taking their vows, facing each other to say ‘I Do’) It was, and still is, the happiest day of my life. But it was not to last. (They are running back down the aisle, outside the sun is shining)
CU on Jimmy’s happy face, we watch as his smile turns to sadness and his eyes well with tears, the sky turns black and rain pours down. The camera moves away from Jimmy and rotates to an open grave where we see a coffin being lowered down. There are many people, dressed in black, in tears. As the priest says his final words, the grave digger begins filling the grave in. We watch as many people turn and walk away, Jimmy watches on. As if we didn’t already know, the camera moves in on the grave. ECU on the name, Rebecca Paxton. The camera slowly fades to black but the sound of the rain does not die.
The camera zooms out from a window, it’s dark outside, but not from night, from the heavy rain. There is a flash of lightning and a rumble of thunder. The camera pans backward. In the room, Jimmy, a little older still (almost 21 now). He’s lying on a couch talking to a shrink.
Shrink: She died?
Jimmy: Yes.
Shrink: How did she die?
Jimmy: (there is a pause) She... She died in a road accident. She was driving home from a night out with her friends, and an HGV smashed headlong into her along the motorway. The car was a write-off but she survived, she fought on through a three day coma, then died in my arms... Her last words were, “I’ll see you in Heaven.”.
Shrink: Do you believe in Heaven?
Jimmy: I believe I’m not gonna see her, she’ll be in Heaven and I’ll be in Hell... I see my damnation every night, when I sleep, I dream...
The camera fades into the dream sequence as Jimmy speaks (so, what he says, we see happening as he says it).
Jimmy: I die and I go to the Pearly Gates. She’s stood on the other side, ready to welcome me in... But I am not allowed entrance. I am carried to the gates of Hell and cast in. I see myself burning in the fires, writhing with the torture, looking up as my darling looks down on me...
The camera rejoins us in the room.
Shrink: Do you see this every night?
Jimmy: Almost. There are a few nights when I do not have this dream.
Shrink: You have another dream?
Again we watch Jimmy’s dream unfolding.
Jimmy: I stand in a place of pure darkness. I can see no walls, no floor, no sky. Then she appears before me and speaks.
Shrink: (we hear his voice over Jimmy’s dream) What does she say?
Jimmy: She tells me that it’ll be over soon. I’ll be with her, in Heaven. She tells me to kill myself and I will be with her for eternity. We will be together again.
Back in the room...
Shrink: Do you... believe her? Do you wish to kill yourself?
A silence falls across the room. Jimmy stands up and stares at the wall.
Jimmy: I feel her here now... She is telling me to trust her... (he reaches into his inside pocket and removes a pistol. Without moving his head from staring at the wall, he lifts the gun and points it at the psychiatrist.) She tells me that I must kill you, so that I may kill myself. (he fires) My sweet Rebecca... (he turns the gun to his temple, closes his eyes tight, bites his lip and fires).
The screen drops to black and the gunshot echoes.
CU on Jimmy’s face. He is just waking up. He stands up and looks around. He is stood at the Pearly Gates and from behind the bars he can see Rebecca, she smiles, he laughs with joy.
Peter: Excuse me, sir. Your name?
Jimmy: (with a start) Sorry?
Peter: Your name, sir?
Jimmy: Jimmy Paxton.
Peter: (opening a great tome, flicking through it and reading from it) Here we are... Ah... Unrepented homicide and suicide... I’m afraid I cannot let you in...
A horrified look falls across both Jimmy and Rebecca’s faces as he realises he’s seen this before. Two large angels appear, almost from nowhere and escort him away, off camera.
We see the gates of Hell. Two similar angels, dressed in black await, and take Jimmy from the others. The gates swing open revealing nothing but darkness. The camera rushes in with a chorus of human screams of pain.
We see Jimmy wrapped in fire, writhing in the flames... We see him in agony, screaming, he stops writhing and looks up, still screaming. The camera follows his eyes, we can see Rebecca looking down from heaven, into Hell. The camera zooms in on her, we see a tear well in her eye. It runs down her nose and drips. The camera follows the drip down into Jimmy’s open, screaming mouth.
There is silence and the screen is black...
A few moments pass.
Jimmy: So now I spend an eternity in Hell... I can see my love, but I cannot touch her. I am damned... Love has destroyed me... I can only hope it will not destroy you...
ECU on the nostril of a boy. The camera moves out and the boy sits up, waking up with a start, panting in fear. He has just had a nightmare... We recognise this boy as the young Jimmy. He sits up, calms himself down, lies his head back on his pillow and looks longingly at a photo of Rebecca beside his bed. He reaches over to it, brings it to his lips and kisses it and falls back to sleep.
Jimmy’s Voice: If only I could turn back the clock, maybe I could be saved... But remember that very little divides Angels from Demons...
The camera moves from the bed and closes on the calendar on his wall. It is on October and all the days up to, and including the 21st are crossed off. ECU on the 22nd Box. Camera fades to black.
END
I love it!
It's so well written, it's so meaningful...
Dude, you're a genius....
Thank you!
Thanks!