♥
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
The Sixth Sense: Don't hold back what you wanna say
A rain-soaked bridge. A two-lane road merges to one lane around
a severe car accident. A rear-ended car has jumped the sidewalk
and hit the guard rail of the bridge. The driver is helped out
by police. He's shaken but okay. Police flares guide the cars
as they crawl by.
Lynn and Cole are standing still in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Lynn leans her chin on the steering wheel. She tries to stare
through the layer of water on the glass. She hits the windshield
wipers.
LYNN
I hope nobody got hurt.
Beat. Lynn glances over to Cole who sits in his seat silently.
LYNN
You're very quiet.
(beat)
You're mad I missed the play,
aren't you?
Cole shakes his head, "No."
LYNN
I have two jobs, baby. You know
how important they are for us.
Beat.
LYNN
I'd give anything to have been
there.
COLE
I'm ready to communicate with you
now.
Beat.
LYNN
Communicate?
COLE
Tell you my secrets.
The way he says the words gives Lynn a chill.
LYNN
What is it?
Cole takes a long time.
COLE
You know that accident up there?
LYNN
(confused)
Yeah.
COLE
Someone got hurt.
LYNN
They did?
COLE
A lady. She died.
LYNN
Oh my God.
Lynn leans over the steering wheel. She wipes the windshield
with her palm to see better.
LYNN
You can see her?
COLE
Yes.
Lynn gazes out the windshield at the line of red tail lights.
Beat.
LYNN
Where is she?
COLE
Standing next to my window.
A WOMAN IN HER LATE FORTIES, HELMET CRACKED, HAIR MATTED WITH
RAIN AND BLOOD, STANDS STARING THROUGH COLE'S PASSENGER WINDOW.
Lynn looks over slowly. She doesn't see anything outside his
window. She eyes Cole.
LYNN
Cole, you're scaring me.
COLE
They scare me too sometimes.
LYNN
They?
COLE
Dead people.
LYNN
Dead people?
COLE
Ghosts.
Beat.
LYNN
You see ghosts, Cole?
COLE
They want me to do things for them.
LYNN
They talk to you?
Cole nods, "Yes."
LYNN
They tell you to do things?
Cole nods "Yes" again. Lynn becomes upset. She nods with grave
understanding. Cole watches her.
COLE
What are you thinking, Momma?
LYNN
...I don't know.
COLE
You think I'm a freak?
Lynn's eyes moves to Cole.
LYNN
Look at my face.
Cole gazes at her intense expression.
LYNN
I would never think that about you
... ever... Got it?
COLE
Got it.
BEAT. Cole smiles a tiny smile. Lynn glances down.
LYNN
Just let me think for a second.
She drowns in her thoughts. Beat.
COLE
Grandma says hi.
Lynn looks up sharply.
COLE
She says she's sorry for taking the
bumble bee pendant. She just likes
it a lot.
LYNN
What?
COLE
Grandma comes to visit me sometimes.
Lynn becomes still. Her face is unreadable. When she speaks,
her words are extremely controlled.
LYNN
Cole, that's very wrong. Grandma's
gone. You know that.
COLE
I know.
Beat.
COLE
She wanted me to tell you--
LYNN
(soft)
Cole, please stop.
COLE
She wanted me to tell you, she saw
you dance.
Lynn's eyes lock on Cole's.
COLE
She said when you were little, you
and her had a fight right before
your dance recital. You thought
she didn't come to see you dance.
She did.
Lynn brings her hands to her mouth.
COLE
She hid in the back so you wouldn't
see... She said you were like an
angel.
Lynn begins to cry.
COLE
She said, you came to her where
they buried her. Asked her a
question... She said the answer is
"Everyday."
Lynn covers her face with her hands. The tears roll out through
her fingers.
COLE
(whispers)
What did you ask?
Beat. Lynn looks at her son. She barely gets the words out.
LYNN
(crying)
Do I make her proud?
Cole moves closer to Lynn. She cradles him in her arms. Mother
and son hold each other tight.
♥
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
The Sixth Sense: Don't hold back what you wanna say
A rain-soaked bridge. A two-lane road merges to one lane around
a severe car accident. A rear-ended car has jumped the sidewalk
and hit the guard rail of the bridge. The driver is helped out
by police. He's shaken but okay. Police flares guide the cars
as they crawl by.
Lynn and Cole are standing still in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Lynn leans her chin on the steering wheel. She tries to stare
through the layer of water on the glass. She hits the windshield
wipers.
LYNN
I hope nobody got hurt.
Beat. Lynn glances over to Cole who sits in his seat silently.
LYNN
You're very quiet.
(beat)
You're mad I missed the play,
aren't you?
Cole shakes his head, "No."
LYNN
I have two jobs, baby. You know
how important they are for us.
Beat.
LYNN
I'd give anything to have been
there.
COLE
I'm ready to communicate with you
now.
Beat.
LYNN
Communicate?
COLE
Tell you my secrets.
The way he says the words gives Lynn a chill.
LYNN
What is it?
Cole takes a long time.
COLE
You know that accident up there?
LYNN
(confused)
Yeah.
COLE
Someone got hurt.
LYNN
They did?
COLE
A lady. She died.
LYNN
Oh my God.
Lynn leans over the steering wheel. She wipes the windshield
with her palm to see better.
LYNN
You can see her?
COLE
Yes.
Lynn gazes out the windshield at the line of red tail lights.
Beat.
LYNN
Where is she?
COLE
Standing next to my window.
A WOMAN IN HER LATE FORTIES, HELMET CRACKED, HAIR MATTED WITH
RAIN AND BLOOD, STANDS STARING THROUGH COLE'S PASSENGER WINDOW.
Lynn looks over slowly. She doesn't see anything outside his
window. She eyes Cole.
LYNN
Cole, you're scaring me.
COLE
They scare me too sometimes.
LYNN
They?
COLE
Dead people.
LYNN
Dead people?
COLE
Ghosts.
Beat.
LYNN
You see ghosts, Cole?
COLE
They want me to do things for them.
LYNN
They talk to you?
Cole nods, "Yes."
LYNN
They tell you to do things?
Cole nods "Yes" again. Lynn becomes upset. She nods with grave
understanding. Cole watches her.
COLE
What are you thinking, Momma?
LYNN
...I don't know.
COLE
You think I'm a freak?
Lynn's eyes moves to Cole.
LYNN
Look at my face.
Cole gazes at her intense expression.
LYNN
I would never think that about you
... ever... Got it?
COLE
Got it.
BEAT. Cole smiles a tiny smile. Lynn glances down.
LYNN
Just let me think for a second.
She drowns in her thoughts. Beat.
COLE
Grandma says hi.
Lynn looks up sharply.
COLE
She says she's sorry for taking the
bumble bee pendant. She just likes
it a lot.
LYNN
What?
COLE
Grandma comes to visit me sometimes.
Lynn becomes still. Her face is unreadable. When she speaks,
her words are extremely controlled.
LYNN
Cole, that's very wrong. Grandma's
gone. You know that.
COLE
I know.
Beat.
COLE
She wanted me to tell you--
LYNN
(soft)
Cole, please stop.
COLE
She wanted me to tell you, she saw
you dance.
Lynn's eyes lock on Cole's.
COLE
She said when you were little, you
and her had a fight right before
your dance recital. You thought
she didn't come to see you dance.
She did.
Lynn brings her hands to her mouth.
COLE
She hid in the back so you wouldn't
see... She said you were like an
angel.
Lynn begins to cry.
COLE
She said, you came to her where
they buried her. Asked her a
question... She said the answer is
"Everyday."
Lynn covers her face with her hands. The tears roll out through
her fingers.
COLE
(whispers)
What did you ask?
Beat. Lynn looks at her son. She barely gets the words out.
LYNN
(crying)
Do I make her proud?
Cole moves closer to Lynn. She cradles him in her arms. Mother
and son hold each other tight.
