Library e-Book : 978-1-5384-7320-7
Trade e-Book : 978-1-5384-7321-4
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NOTES for “Talking In the Dark”
This is the story of VICTOR RIPPON, a lonely man in a small town. Ever since his wife left him he lives a quiet, bleak existence, with no friends to speak of except for JOLENE, a plump, good-natured waitress at the local diner. She’d like to be more than a friend to him, but VICTOR remains withdrawn and oblivious. How can she break through his shell?
His only real interest seems to be his favorite writer, REX CHRISTIAN. VICTOR is obsessed with REX’s horror stories, which somehow seem more real to him than his own boring life. Now, as Christmas draws near, a chance remark from JOLENE gives VICTOR a reckless idea. It’s a last-ditch attempt to reach out to the one person who might understand: REX CHRISTIAN himself.
“Talking in the Dark” is the sad, shocking tale of one man’s search for meaning in the chaos of a life gone wrong. The events may border on the comic but the underlying tone is one of sadness and loss, building to a powerful and tragic climax.
Casting of the three principals is critical.
VICTOR is the lost and vulnerable protagonist. He may not have the words to articulate what he feels. But he is by no means a clownlike simpleton.
JOLENE is warm, compassionate and touchingly human, a woman who sees to the needs of her customers all day long but whose own needs remain unfulfilled.
And REX is the unexpected wild card – a disarmingly flip con man with a dark agenda all his own. He is a small, tightly-wound charmer with an edge of barely-concealed cynicism. Why do his stories have such hypnotic power over his readers, until they believe that they are not only reading them but living them?
Where does such a writer really get his ideas?
Given the right tone, this one should be a classic.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
ANOUNCER
NARRATOR
*VICTOR
– a lonely, divorced man. 30s
*REX
– Victor’s favorite horror writer. 30-50
*JOLENE
– a waitress at the local diner, who may be Victor’s only friend. 30s
JAMES
– a married man who is a character in one of Rex’s stories. 30s
LORI
– James’s wife in Rex’s story. 30s
TAD
– Lori’s son in Rex’s stoy, age 5-8
RAY
– Lori’s other son in Rex’s story, age 5-8
WALT
– owner of the diner. 40s-50s
MAN
– a customer at the diner. 30s
BOY
– his son, age 10-12.
HANK
– a regular at the diner. 50s-60s
SOUND
SIGNATURE OPENING: A BEATING HEART. . . RAPID BREATHING. . . RUNNING FEET. . . A DOOR SLAMMING SHUT. THE DOOR LOCKS AND A CHAIN FUMBLES INTO PLACE. THE HEARTBEAT AND BREATHING SLOW. . . UNTIL A GRANDFATHER CLOCK CHIMES LOUDLY. A GASP. THE HEARTBEAT SPEEDS UP AGAIN, DROWNING OUT ALL OTHER SOUNDS.
MUSIC
THEME
ANNOUNCER
You can run but you can’t hide. It’s far too late for that. Welcome to the darkside, where the night never ends, as Fangoria presents. . . Dread Time Stories!
MUSIC
FADE DOWN.
SOUND
THRU TO:
INT. – HOUSE – NIGHT.
RAIN OUTSIDE (CONTINUING).
A KEY IN THE FRONT DOOR. THE DOOR OPENS AND JAMES ENTERS, THE STORM MOMENTARILY LOUDER. HE CLOSES THE DOOR BEHIND HIM.
JAMES
(calling) Lori?
SOUND
HE CROSSES THE ROOM AND DROPS HIS KEYS ON A TABLE.
JAMES
Honey, are you –?
LORI
(calmly, from within the room) James?
SOND
A FAINT PEAL OF THUNDER OUTSIDE.
LAMES
Why is it so dark in here?
LORI
Is it? I didn’t notice.
SOUND
HE CROSSES AND CLICKS A LAMP.
JAMES
Let me get the lamp. . . There. That’s better.
Sorry I’m late.
LORI
Another meeting?
JAMES
I warned you when we got married. It goes with the territory.
LORI
Well, you’re here now. That’s all that matters.
JAMES
Have you eaten yet?
LORI
I was waiting for you.
JAMES
I should have called. I grabbed a bite on the way. But we can order something, if you like.
LORI
I can manage.
JAMES
What about the boys? They must be hungry.
LORI
Don’t worry about them. I always make sure they’re fed.
JAMES
In bed already?
LORI
They’re having their bath.
JAMES
Those two. They take more baths than any
JAMES (cont’d)
LORI
At least they’re clean. You should be grateful.
JAMES
Oh, I am. Before you came along, this house was empty as a tomb. Sometimes I wonder. What did I do to deserve you three?
LORI
You’re the best thing that ever happened to us, James. I knew it the day we met. At the river, remember?
JAMES
Sure I do. I was so depressed I wanted to jump in. And then I saw you, like something out of a dream. . .
LORI
I thought I was the one who was dreaming.
SOUND
(OFF) DISTANT GIGGLING AND SPLASHING FROM A BATHROOM DOWN THE HALL.
JAMES
I’d better see how they’re doing.
LORI
Don’t you want this first?
SOUND
SHE POURS HIM A DRINK, DROPS ICE CUBES INTO THE GLASS AND BRINGS IT TO HIM.
JAMES
You never forget.
LORI
Single malt. Your favorite.
SOUND
HE DRINKS AND SETS THE GLASS ON THE TABLE.
JAMES
(appreciative) That’s what I call service.
LORI
Would you like anything else, sir?
JAMES
Come here. (nuzzling her)
LORI
The boys. . .
JAMES
What about them?
LORI
They’ve been waiting, too.
JAMES
Have they?
LORI
Of course they have. You’re their father now.
JAMES
(reluctant) All right, I’ll tuck them in. You know, it’s been a long day. (teasing) We could turn in early ourselves. . .
LORI
(amused) Will you go?
JAMES
Yes, ma’am. Dryin’ ’em off over here, boss. . .
SOUND
WE FOLLOW JAMES AS HE WALKS OUT OF THE LIVING ROOM AND DOWN THE HALL. AS HE NEARS THE BATHROOM, THE SPLASHING AND GIGGLING SUBSIDE.
TAD
(off, loud whisper) That’s him!
RAY
(off) Shh! Quiet!
SOUND
JAMES TAPS LIGHTLY ON THE BATHROOM DOOR.
JAMES
Boys?
SOUND
NO ANSWER. ONLY REPRESSED GIGGLING FROM BEYOND THE DOOR.
JAMES
Ahoy in there.
SOUND
&nb
sp; INT. – BATHROOM (SLIGHT REVERB).
AS JAMES OPENS THE DOOR AND ENTERS. WATER SLOSHING SLOWLY IN THE TUB.
JAMES
Hey, what the – Are you taking a bath in the dark?
RAY
We like it like this.
JAMES
You do, huh. Where’s the light switch. . .
TAD
(disappointed) Do you have to?
SOUND
THE CLICK OF THE SWITCH.
JAMES
There. Much better.
TAD
(innocently) No, it isn’t.
RAY
Mama said it was okay. . .
JAMES
Come on, out of the tub. Or you’ll get so wrinkly you’ll stay that way.
RAY
Aw, that’s not true.
JAMES
Sure it is. Didn’t you hear what happened?
TAD
What?
JAMES
Well, there was this old guy – lived around here. All the way down the ravine, by the river. He liked to go swimming every day. Several times a day. Until finally – he didn’t come back.
RAY
He didn’t?
JAMES
Nope. And you know why?
RAY
JAMES
When they found him, he’d turned into a frog!
RAY
No way.
TAD
Mama says people come out of the river. They don’t go back in.
JAMES
Oh she does, does she? Grab a towel.
SOUND
THE WATER SLOSHING GENTLY IN THE TUB.
RAY
Not yet, Daddy.
TAD
You have to feed us first.
JAMES
I thought she did that already.
TAD
(amused) Don’t you know anything?
JAMES
Let’s go. Stand up, Tad. You, too, Ray.
SOUND
THE BOYS STAND UP IN THE BATHTUB, DRIPPING WATER. AS LORI’S FOOTSTEPS APPROACH. SHE JOINS THEM IN THE BATHROOM.
LORI
And how are my three men?
JAMES
Slippery as eels. Hand me another towel, will you, honey? Let the water out of the tub, fellas.
RAY
We can’t.
JAMES
Why not?
RAY
It’s broken.
JAMES
What is?
TAD
The drain.
JAMES
Quit stalling.
LORI
Wait a minute. I think I see something.
JAMES
Where?
RAY
You have to lean down.
TAD
Go on.
RAY
A little more. . .
LORI
There.
SOUND
JAMES SLOSHES THE WATER WITH HIS HAND.
JAMES
Looks like it’s plugged up.
LORI
With what?
JAMES
I don’t know. . .
LORI
Take a closer look.
JAMES
The water’s pretty cloudy.
LORI
Lean all the way in. What’s wrong?
JAMES
I feel dizzy. . .
LORI
Let me help you.
SOUND
A SPLASH AS LORI DUNKS JAMES’S HEAD IN THE WATER. HE COMES UP SPUTTERING.
RAY
(giggling) Daddy’s going swimming!
JAMES
Let go of me! I can’t –
LORI
(calmly) Can’t what? Breathe underwater?
RAY
Poor Daddy.
TAD
He doesn’t know how.
RAY
But we do.
SOUND
JAMES THRASHING IN THE WATER.
JAMES
(trying a draw a breath) Get them off me!
LORI
Don’t fight it, James. I put something in your drink, to make it easier. Why don’t you relax? Go with the flow.
JAMES
(face in and out of water) No. . . no. . .!
SOUND
THE THRASHING SLOWS. ONLY A FEW BUBBLES.
TAD
Now, Mama?
RAY
Is it time?
LORI
Yes. (beat) Time to feed.
TAD & RAY
(giggle)
SOUND
THE SPLASHING INCREASES. . .
CUT OFF SUDDENLY BY THE LOUD RINGING OF A STANDARD DESK TELEPHONE.
INT. – A SMALL SHOP.
AS A HARDCOVER BOOK SLAPS CLOSED ON A TABLE. THE RINGING STOPS AS VICTOR LIFTS THE TELEPHONE RECEIVER FROM THE CRADLE.
VICTOR
(flat) Victor’s Fix-It.
JOLENE
(filtered) (upbeat) You’re still there!
SOUND
BEHIND HER (FILTERED): SILVERWARE, DISHES, A FEW VOICES. SHE IS CALLING FROM A DINER.
VICTOR
(preoccupied) Oh hi, Jolene.
JOLENE
I knew you were. I can see the light in the shop from here.
VICTOR
What time is it?
JOLENE
A little after seven.
VICTOR
I must have lost track.
JOLENE
Working late?
VICTOR
I was – reading a book.
JOLENE
You were? Which one?
VICTOR
The new Rex Christian. The library got it today.
JOLENE
Any good?
VICTOR
The best ever.
JOLENE
What’s this one called?
VICTOR
“Nightmare Territory”. I just finished the the first story.
JOLENE
I didn’t mean to bother you.
VICTOR
That’s all right.
JOLENE
I guess you haven’t even been home. When you didn’t stop by the diner. . . well, I figured you changed your mind.
VICTOR
About what?
JOLENE
The movie.
VICTOR
(remembering) Was that tonight?
JOLENE
It’s okay.
VICTOR
Jolene, I’m sorry – really. We can still make it. If I come right over. . .
JOLENE
No biggie. They’ll have a different one next week.
VICTOR
Be right there.
SOUND
VICTOR HANGS UP, SLIDES A CHAIR BACK ON A WOODEN FLOOR, STANDS, CROSSES THE SMALL ROOM AND LETS HIMSELF OUT, KEYING THE DOOR LOCKED BEHIND HIM.
MUSIC
BEGIN EPISODE SCORE (CONTINUING).
NARRATOR
His name is Victor Rippon – resident of a small town in the Pacific Northwest. He has his own business, and he lives alone, since the divorce. His life is simple now. He spends most of it at work – or reading stories by his favorite horror writer. They are his only friends, apart from a waitress at the diner across the street. Tonight he agreed to meet her for a movie – strictly platonic, of course, because he’s not quite ready to trust anyone again. But before the night is over, he’ll reach out to a new friend. . . the only one who might understand. It’s
NARRATOR (cont’d)
a risky step. But as the saying goes: a man with nothing has nothing to lose. Or does he?
MUSIC
EPISODE SCORE THRU TO: THEME. FADE DOWN.
ANNOUNCER
Dread Time Stories will continue in a moment.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
MUSIC
THEME.
ANNOUNCER
Now back to Dread Time Stories, and. . . “Talking In the Dark.”
MUSIC
EPISODE SCORE. THRU TO:
SOUND
INTERIOR – SMALL-TOWN DINER.
QUIETER NOW. ONLY A COUPLE OF CUSTOMERS LEFT.
JOLENE
More coffee, Hank?
HANK
Don’t mind if I do.
SOUND
SHE POURS, REFILLING HIS CUP.
JOLENE
I’ll get you some sugar.