We ve Only Got Forever By William Everett Putnam William Everett Putnam 20401 NE 108th St. Redmond, WA 98053 will.e.putnam@gmail.com (425) 891-9576
EXT. WARNER RESIDENCE -- DAY (A COUPLE DAYS AFTER CHRISTMAS) A small house. A car pulls up and the rear door opens. Out flies WARNER, a free-spirited 6 year-old girl. Slingshot in hand, she explores the yard shooting things. Danny s parents, WARNER and WARNER, get out of the car and linger on the front porch. Danny occasionally looks at her BRACELET and talks joyfully under her breath. INT. LIVING ROOM -- DAY A Christmas tree stands in the middle of the room. It had never been decorated. The only decoration on the tree is an angel at the top. Wrapping paper lies on the floor from a couple days ago. Warner family enters. INT. S ROOM -- DAY Danny leaps in and aims her slingshot around the room. She pockets the slingshot and plays with a brand-new DOLLHOUSE. Kristy peeks in, manages a smile, and leaves. Danny, turns to the doorway. Upon seeing nothing, Danny plays as before. Moments later, Danny again pauses and turns. Nothing. Danny stares silently. The third time she feels a presence, she turns to a new spot in the room, then closes her eyes. Hi! Silence. She nods and smiles wide. She opens her eyes. (To no location in particular) I felt scared. Not anymore. I don t like fear. It s like something bad thinks and feels for me. A phone RINGS OS briefly. It s fun! I only shoot bad things. A small CRASH OS and a THUD OS. Danny runs to the door. She turns back with her eyes closed. INT. KITCHEN -- DAY Yeah? I ll tell him. I love you! Kristy grabs an ice pack out of the open freezer. Danny rounds the corner and sees the tea kettle on the floor.
2. Don t touch it, sweetie! It s hot. Daniel hangs up the phone. Kristy puts the ice pack in Daniel s hand. Danny sees an overturned MUG on the counter. It s okay, daddy. It s not broken. Danny places the MUG on the counter. Daniel looks at it. It reads "Best Son." He flicks it off the counter onto the floor. Danny picks it up. It s still not broken. It s still okay. Danny places the MUG on the counter. Daniel smashes it on the counter. Pieces fall to the floor. Danny runs to him. Don t come in here! Danny hugs him and holds onto him. Grandpa loves you, too. Yes, he did. He says, "Hello." And he loves you. Daniel looks to Kristy. They give each other a knowing look. Sweetie. Grandpa just passed on. No lies right now, okay? Okay. (Pause) I was playing and then he was with me. He said he loves me and he loves you, daddy. And hello. Daniel seethes. He bends down to her. When someone dies, they go in the ground and it s over. Grandpa died!
3. No he didn t. Daniel leaves down the hallway. Kristy picks up a few of the big pieces of mug and kneels next to Danny. Dad needs lots of love. We all do. Daniel returns to the kitchen holding up Danny s DOLLHOUSE. This isn t real! You re a dreamer. I m not dreaming. I m not lying. Daniel storms outside. Kristy motions for Danny to stay. EXT. WARNER RESIDENCE -- DAY Daniel destroys DOLLHOUSE with his hands. Kristy emerges. Stop! Daniel! Why wasn t I there?! I should have been there. You can t do everything. We did our best, didn t we? What if our best isn t enough? Danny looks through the screen door. Kristy cradles Daniel. (CONT D) There s not enough time. Danny looks at her BRACELET. We love you. I m gonna go for a walk.
4. You want us to go with you? No. Daniel walks away down the street. Danny opens the screen door and sits next to her mother. Danny nods. You remember your lie last week? You hurt your father. I m trying to be better, now. In Sunday School today, we learned about the dream parts of this world. They hide the good. Danny holds up her BRACELET which reads, "Peace, Love, Joy." (CONT D) I m trying to do these things. EXT. WARNER RESIDENCE -- LATER THAT DAY Danny and Kristy embrace. Carrying a brown paper-bag, Daniel walks up the street and into the house. Kristy follows him. INT. KITCHEN -- DAY Daniel gets a glass out of the sink. Kristy stares at him. Daniel looks back at Kristy. You asked me what I need. I need some courage. They sell it in liquid form. So I m having some. Intoxication is not what you need. This isn t the only kind of intoxication. Jesus, look at our stuff, our lifestyle, Christmas!
5. You know what they said about this. Yeah. And you know what they said about him: "He s on the mend." Is it time for those plane tickets? It s time for something. Daniel opens the liquor (breaking the seal). The screen door CREAKS open. Daniel lifts the bottle. Danny walks into the room. Daniel sets the bottle back down. Daniel grabs a handful of grapes from a nearby bowl. He drops one on the floor. He bends over to pick it up but drops several more. (CONT D) God... DAMNIT! GOD-DAMN YOU, YOU LITTLE SONS OF BITCHES! Danny picks up a grape, puts it in her slingshot, takes aim at her dad, and shoots him square in the forehead. They stare at each other. Danny slowly smiles. Daniel smiles too. All three laugh uncontrollably. Danny offers Daniel the slingshot. He shoots the angel off the Christmas tree. I wish we had more time. We ve only got forever! Daniel picks up Danny so her face is near his. I m so sorry, Danny. I forgive you. I just want us happy. How... How do we be happy? Laugh a lot. We could not do everything that is thinked for us. Like when it thinked for me to shoot Jeffy after school. And then (MORE)
6. (cont d) I shot Jeffy after school. Not good. Let s do the good ones. Danny shows Daniel her bracelet. I m sorry that I ruined Christmas. You can t! Christmas is infinity. The beginning of the realization that death only looks real. That s a nice thought, Danny. I don t know everything yet. But I m learning! And I ve got forever. In the meantime, I ll buy you a new dollhouse and the dolls I broke. No. Just show me yours. I don t have any. Grandpa told me this morning. Danny... The matryoshka dolls you were going to give me. Daniel is shocked. Without a word, he puts Danny down, grabs her hand, and leads her down the hallway. INT. PARENT S BEDROOM -- DAY Daniel and Danny enter hand-in-hand. Daniel uncovers a safe, unlocks it, and removes a box labeled, "To dear Danny, someday." The box contains a matyroshka doll. He demonstrates them and talks with the unbridled joy of a child.
7. These are matryoshka dolls. My father was a doll-maker. He never talked about it after his wife passed on, but he gave these to me when I married your mom. (realizing the significance) He didn t want me to covet them in a materialistic way. He used to say, "Matter doesn t matter." For him, they represented a moment of incredible trust in his intuition. What is intuition? Daniel taps Danny s BRACELET. Like these, intuition is a peaceful direction. It can feel like it comes from elsewhere. It s a good one. Okay. What was his good one? He had the intuition to work at a doll-making shop in town. He met a young woman there. My mom. Kermit wants to meet the family. Danny runs out. Daniel, alone, handles the dolls. How d she know? (Thinking) "We ve only got forever." (Timidly) Dad? Mom? He closes his eyes. He smiles. (CONT D) I love you. Refreshed, he opens his eyes. He is joyful. Feeling a presence, he turns and looks directly into the camera. CUT TO BLACK.