This Is My Suicide Letter, Part 4

EXT. HORSE ISLAND - NIGHT
The camera pans from the water that has the moon shining down on it in a pale yellow color to Micah, Ellis, and Oliver who are sitting under a bridge on a stone ledge fishing, Micah has caught one small one and is taking it off the hook and having trouble with it as it flips around.
ELLIS TRENTON
OK, top five coolest things to do with a fish when we catch one.
MICAH
Number 5, hide it under Ollie’s car seat. Number 4, punch it and give it the finger, Number 3, teach it to fish, then punch it, Number 2, pierce its lip and put it in a tank and name it Papagoergio, and Number one, lets see, throw it back.
Micah throws the fish back into the water and it swims away harmlessly.
OLLIE
Pulling a fish of his own out of the water
I got you, you little jerk.
Ollie begins reeling in and takes the fish off the hook and puts it onto the ground next to them.
OLLIE

Let you see how it is to breathe human air, you idiot.
ELLIS
Ollie, what about you, top five.
OLLIE
Micah and Ellis look at each other in disbelief that Ollie is so sick.
OLLIE
I don’t know about 3,4,and 5, but two, burn off it’s scales. One, burn it’s eyes out with a cigarette lighter.
ELLIS
Ollie there is something extremely wrong with you.
Ellis punches Ollie as Ollie gets up with his fish and climbs back over the wall.
ELLIS
OK, number 5, stuff it and wear it around my neck. Number 4, use it as the ball in fishball. Three, Give it away as a Christmas present to my mom. Two, put it in the drop box of a video store.
OLLIE
Dude, stop flippin around. Ellis, Micah, come here you’ve gotta to see this.
Ellis and Micah jump up from the ledge and look over the side. What they see is Ollie standing over a badly burned fish with no eyes and filled with coffee just spewing out of its mouth, smoking a cigarette.
ELLIS
Dude! Throw it back. You’re sick.
Ollie picks up the fish and throws it back into the water and it just floats on it’s side out of the camera view. Ollie hops back over the wall and sits.
ELLIS
Micah, I’ve been meaning to ask you, what happened the other day?
MICAH
I choked, worst game of my life.
ELLIS
You know what I am talking about.
MICAH
Not real sure, I just wasn’t feeling very good.
ELLIS
You weren’t feeling good, are you serious, you were on the ground screaming and staring at the wall like it was going kill you. Don’t tell me you just weren’t feeling good. What’s up?
MICAH
I really don’t know, I’m still trying to work this all out. Its like I feel a certain way all the time, and I think it has gone to the next level.
ELLIS
What do you mean the next level?
MICAH
I don’t know. I tell you now you tell no one. You got it?
ELLIS
I got it.
MICAH
Ollie?
OLLIE
Got what? I already forgot.
MICAH
I see someone.
ELLIS
What are you talking about, you see who?
MICAH
Just forget it, it doesn’t matter. No sane person would ever believe me anyway.
ELLIS
I wouldn’t be what anyone would ever call sane. And Ollie, just look at him, he tried to hang himself with a piece of Christmas tree twine.
MICAH
Alright. I see this guy, I dream these dreams and I do these things I don’t remember doing. I can’t remember the last time I slept more than 4 hours, I can’t remember the last time I woke up alone. Every night I have these nightmares that are so real that I don’t know if I am dreaming right now. I close my eyes and all I see are eyes looking back at me. This guy, Cold, he is everywhere and I see him when I am awake.
Ellis and Ollie are looking intently at Micah.
ELLIS
(Reluctantly)You see him right now?
MICAH
No, just you and Ollie.
OLLIE
I kinda figured that was going on.
ELLIS
What?
OLLIE
I get a weird feeling sometimes when you’re around. You clam up all of the sudden, and your really distant.
ELLIS
So you assumed he was seeing things that were not there, or sorry Micah, things that we can’t see.
OLLIE
Micah isn’t crazy remember? I just knew something was up.
MICAH
Let’s just forget we had this little conversation.
ELLIS
K, but will you tell us when this thing is in the room, so I can run?
MICAH
No problem.
MICAH
You think I’m crazy?
Ellis and Ollie don’t answer
MICAH
I do, at least I hope I am.
FADE TO:
INT. MICAH’S BED ROOM - NIGHT
The scene begins in Micah’s (19) room in the dead of night, there are eyes now painted all over Micah’s walls, and there is a large Iguana sleeping beside his bed like a watchman. Micah is having a bad dream and it shows by the language his body is giving out. The blankets have been kicked to the floor and the window is wide open. The curtains are blowing in on Micah as he lies shaking and curled up in a ball on the bed. Micah is saying various things in his sleep. Cold is standing over him in his room as he sleeps. Cold walks over to the bed and sits beside Micah and lovingly strokes his hair as he dreams. At the very touch of Cold hand Micah begins to wail bitterly. Not cry, not weep, but wail. The very touch of Cold is miserable it stinks. Cold leans over and whispers something into Micah’s ear.
COLD
In the end we all will fly Micah, up through the heavens to the fire and fry.
Cold gets up and leaves the room through the bedroom door. As he leaves, Micah catches a glimpse at the back of Cold as he walks though. The camera does a time shot sped up with Micah shaking until morning. Micah opens his eyes to see for the first time a poem written on the wall above his bed, it read, “In the end we all will fly, up to the heavens to the fire and fry.”

EXT. OUTDOOR BASKETBALL COURT - DAY
About 20 to 30 kids play basketball on two courts in a 4 court complex. Micah age 13 is standing alone, dribbling the ball, waiting for the game to be over so he can play.
BASKETBALL KID 1
11 - 10 us. Game point. You ready to walk home barefoot Trey?
TREY
Just check the ball.
Basketball kid 1 checks the ball to Trey who gives it back. The kid dribbles into the lane and takes a circus shot that manages to find the net.
BASKETBALL KID 1
Game. Gimmie your boots.
Trey sits down on the ground with embarrassment and takes off his shoes and hands them to the kid, who takes off his own ripped up shoes and throws them into the creek nearby. He then puts on Treys shoes and they begin picking teams. Micah is standing in the middle of them waiting to be picked, he isn’t.
BASKETBALL KID 1
Get off the court so we can play.
TREY
It’s alright Micah, let’s go.
Micah hesitates as if he were going to make a stand but is interrupted by basketball kid 1 throwing the ball at him and hitting him in the face. The kid picks up the ball and throws it again at him, then again hitting every time. Micah gets off the court in tears, shaking with fear. As he walks away, he turns and looks at basketball kid 1 and then to the road and Trey who is walking away toward the gate to leave. Through tear blurred eyes he makes out an image of a car pulling up and a hand reaching out of the window. He can’t make it out yet, but as he wiped his eyes and focuses, the shots cut through the air. All around him are kids running for the back fence, trying to get away as shot after shot is fired. Micah hits the ground on his face and stays down with his hands covering his head. Micah looks to the back fence and he sees all of the kids on the ground taking cover accept one. Trey. Trey is climbing the back fence when he is hit in the back with a bullet. The shots cease and the car drives off quickly.
CUT TO:
EXT. CITY STREET - NIGHT
Micah (12) is running as fast as he can while crying and trying to breathe. He runs a couple of blocks before he reaches his house.
INT. MICAH’S HOUSE - NIGHT
He opens the door and runs right past his mom who is looking at him bewildered but not alarmed. Micah runs to his room and goes behind a small little club house he has made under the top bunk of his bunk bed behind the dresser. Micah sits and weeps as silently as he can given what has just happened. He is quiet because he does not want his mom to hear. He turns on the radio to silence his cries. Micah pulls out from under his mattress, a razor blade and hold it to his lips as he weeps. Around him are toy trains, pictures from his football team, a poster of Walter Payton, and various other pictures. Micah picks up a picture of him and his deceased friend Chris from the small dresser and holds it to his forehead with the razor blade still in hand.
MICAH 12
I want to be where you are.
Micah continues to cry as he sets the picture in his lap, stroking the picture of Chris with his finger, and holds the razor first to his throat and then to his wrist. His hands shake as we holds it.
FADE OUT.
EXT. CITY STREET (FALL) - DAY
Camera focuses on Micah (19) as we walks down the same street as the church, nothing is said, just music. Micah is quiet today, just walking and looking at all of the places he is passing, he looks and sees a small child playing catch with the football and laughing. He walks further and sees a little old man and woman sitting together on their porch, as he looks at him they glance back and wave, Micah just turns his head from them and continues walking. Cold is not with him today, he is just sad. The shots change as he walks past the church and looks up at the statue of Mary holding Jesus, then looks up at the cross at the top of the church. Micah walks on down the road until he comes to a liquor store.
INT. LIQUOR STORE - DAY
Micah goes in and walks over to the counter pulls out a twenty.
MICAH
Bottle of the Captain please.
STORE CLERK
You 21?
MICAH
Yeah.
STORE CLERK
You sure?
Clerk looks at Micah with hesitation.
MICAH
You want my money or not?
The clerk gives the bottle to Micah who takes it exchanges the money and leaves the store.
FADE TO:

This Is My Suicide Letter, Part 3

INT. ELLIS’ CAR - DAY

OLLIE
What was that all about? You don’t know how to remove a bird.
MICAH
I know.
OLLIE
So we just going to ditch her?
MICAH
I can’t believe you would suggest such a thing, I run a serious and organized business here, we are going to go and remove these birds, right after we get our supplies from your house.
The car pulls up into Ollie and Ellis’ driveway.
MICAH
We have to hurry because I don’t know how long this is going to take. Just grab whatever you think will help and lets go.
EXT. OUTSIDE OLLIE AND ELLIS’ HOUSE - DAY
The guys run up the driveway and into the house.
FADE IN:
INT. THE TRENTON HOUSE - DAY
The camera focuses on Ellis who is standing in the hallway going through the hallway closet pulling out three large, white pillowcases, and a pair of yellow rubber gloves that he puts in the pillowcase. The camera cuts to Ollie who is in the backyard shed searching quickly for materials. Ollie pulls out a large fly swatter and a small stepladder. The camera then goes to Micah, who is in the kitchen going through the junk drawer on the cabinet. Micah pulls out a harmonica from the drawer and stares at it smiling as if this was the perfect tool for the job.
INT. VIDEO STORE - DAY
The camera fades in to the video store that is in shambles. The drop ceiling has been ripped out all over the store. There is bird poop everywhere and the customers are walking by baffled as we see Micah on top of a ladder holding his harmonica.
MICAH
Ollie, come here with that pillow case.
OLLIE
Walking over to Micah who is now holding the harmonica to his lips.
MICAH
Hold that bag steady be ready to grab that bird when I say.
Micah blows on a couple of the notes and nothing happens, the room is now looking very mysteriously at Micah as he blows the high pitch sound. As he blows the note, the bird takes flight onto the drop ceiling frame by Micah.
MICAH
Now! Ollie grab him!
Ollie freezes up, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.
MICAH
Ollie, grab him!
OLLIE
I can’t.
Micah grabs the bag from Ollie sending Ollie falling off of the ladder and throws it over a very large pigeon and scoops it into the bag. The audience of customers applaud as the two leave the store in shambles and exit to free the bird.
EXT. PARKING LOT - DAY
Micah and Ollie free the bird and the camera focuses on the bird as it flies away dropping one yellow feather into the air as it goes. Micah picks up the peculiar feather without an ounce of surprise and puts it into his pocket. The two then walk away to the car and leave the store a mess.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. A DARK ALLEY - NIGHT
The shot starts in a dream sequence. The colors are different now. Much darker, less color. Micah (19) is wandering down a dark road alone and it seems there is no one within a hundred miles of the place. The street lamps are flickering as he walks in bewilderment of where he is and how he got there. Micah hears a noise from behind him.
MICAH
Hello! Who’s there? Hello!
Yellow vapor begins seeping through the cracks of the walls on each side of him. The smell is pungent. Micah begins to panic as every step he takes seems to be the same as the one before, the same walls, the same buildings, the same vapor. The vapor begins to thicken now as he walks and becomes more scared. Micah walks by a homeless man lying on the ground in the street. Micah approaches him as if for comfort. But before he can get to the man, the man lifts up his head and looks right at Micah.
HOMELESS MAN
Hello Micah.
MICAH
I don’t understand. Shut up.
HOMELESS MAN
What’s not to understand? You are trapped and you just cannot get out, am I right?
The homeless man coughs up some vapor.
MICAH
Yeah, but how did you....
HOMELESS MAN
Don’t you worry about that, I have always known you. You aren’t a very happy soul are you?
Camera goes to Micah who just looks and does not dare say a word.
CUT TO:

INT. MICAH’S APARTMENT ROOM - NIGHT
The camera flashes in from the dream momentarily as Micah is sitting in a trance-like state rapidly painting something on the wall of his room. This is the first of the paintings, it will not be the last.
BACK TO:
EXT. DARK ALLEY - NIGHT
HOMELESS MAN (COLD)
Cover me in ashes and abandon me in the cold, I’ll still be here, I’ll still exist. Of this you can be sure. Where you are, I am. You can shut the door on me, but I will burst through. Be assured that we will be spending a great deal of time together. You may find it easier to recognize me now. My name is Cold.
The Homeless man has now changed to the face of Cold and then vanishes into thin air and Micah is again left alone and now cold. Micah begins walking back down the alley and as he walks, he hears more and more noises from behind him. The vapor is coming more rapidly now as Micah begins to run. The scenes jumps back and forth between Micah painting, now much more frantically as Micah twitches, and the alley where Micah is now running and the vapor has consumed him.
JUMP CUT TO:
INT. MICAH’S APARTMENT ROOM - DAY
Micah wakes up as the dream reaches its climax. It is morning now and Micah bewildered, sits up and scans his room until he comes to the wall he has just painted. What he sees is a dark field covered by storm clouds. In the field there is a dead tree with a headstone under it, obviously his own. In the clouds there is a face looking down with a single tear falling from the sky. Under the painting lies and inscription, “Cover me with ashes and abandon me in the cold, I’ll still be here, I’ll still exist.” Micah sits staring at the painting, motionless all day, and the camera cuts and picks back up at night with him still staring at that picture.
FADE OUT.
EXT. THE PARK - DAY
Camera goes to a young man in his twenties standing and playing guitar in the park. His name is Tom. Micah (6 or 7 years old) sits at his feet listening intently as the melody rips through the trees covering every crevice of open air. As the sax plays on the camera flashes to Tom and Micah sitting together on the grass. Tom is looking intensely into Micah’s eyes and Micah looks intently into Tom’s.
TOM
One day, Micah, this park, this city, and everything in it will be gone. Its buildings reduced to rubble, its people turned to ashes. No more will you see children playing in this park, the birds will not fly in this air, this air is polluted. Unbearable. Uninhabitable. I don’t expect you to understand this now, but one day, you will remember what I have told you.
Micah looks stunned and horrified, yet fascinated.
TOM
Have you ever wondered why ants work so hard to build their underground fortresses and store up enough food for a lifetime. Its because they feel it too. They sense it coming. Most people have no idea, they just go about their normal lives doing normal things, dreaming dreams that will never come living lives that are lost. I had dreams, I had big dreams, dreams of becoming a doctor, or a fireman, or even a pro hockey player, but I have learned that I will never reach my goals, even the trivial, because dreams are just that, dreams. They mean nothing, just something invented by someone to make our lives more livable, more pleasant; mind control to boost morale in the people. The truth is this; There are no dreams that come true, no Santa Claus or Easter Bunny and there is no God, it’s all a lie; we just haven’t figured it out yet. Life lets you strive for your dreams and go for the gold and even lets you get close, but will never let you win. You get where you think you want to be and find out that nothing has changed, you still have that longing. I have come to the conclusion that you deal with whatever life brings you, you do whatever God, or whoever, wants you to do, in the end it’s all the same, you grow old and change from one strange era of life to another and die. School has an end just like summertime, sooner or later its all going to get cold and you will find out that everything you have lived for all your life has left you freezing.
The scene changes to show the very same park in the very same neighborhood, destroyed, with people milling about hopelessly with no place really to go, just moving. Graffiti on the walls of the houses, doors all boarded up, and the streets empty. Tom has now changed, he wears the same close, but has the face of the homeless man (Cold). The scene quickly changes back to the quiet park, where Tom has left Micah lying on the grass alone and sleeping. Micah gets up and begins to walk home a couple of houses down and enters into the front door.
FADE OUT.
INT. GYMNASIUM - NIGHT
Camera fades into the gymnasium of St. Augustine Academy, Micah’s School. The score is 41 to 29 and Augustine is losing. The players are playing their hearts out. The players on the court are Micah, Ellis, Cody, Shorty, and Devon. Although losing this game against their unbeaten rivals, Augustine is playing their best game to date. It is a miracle that they are even in this game. Micah is shown driving the lane to the hoop where he dishes the ball off to Ellis for the lay up. Apostolic returns the favor with a three pointer that was sorely defended. Augustine moves back down the court where Micah shoots a forced three pointer and bricks it. Exhausted Augustine walks back down the court as Apostolic hustles past them to the hoop for another bucket. Exasperated, Augustines coach calls a time out to talk to his players.
COACH
What the heck is going on here? Where are you guys right now? Your already beaten aren’t you? Micah, you try a half court shot, when we are down by 13 with 5 minutes left? Where are you.
Micah doesn’t even look up. He just stands there doubled over and sweating all over the place.
COACH
You want to sit down? You are the captain of this team and you are giving up. Where is your heart you guys, you are in this game, you are not beaten, they are not better than you today. Micah! Look at me. Lead your team.
The horn blows and Augustine’s team walks back onto the floor. Micah’s head is spinning and the room goes quiet. The camera pans to the cheerleaders who are cheering enthusiastically, then to the crowd who are silently but violently rooting their team on. The coach is yelling undecipherable things at the players. Micah looks at his mother, Maxine, who is sitting silently worried. Sitting next to his mother is Cold who watches with a grin. He looks in slow motion at Ellis who is looking back at him, their eyes meet and they exchange a familiar look. Micah begins to stagger a little backwards but does not fall. The room still spins around for Micah as the ball is handed over to Cody for the inbound. As the ball is passed to a bewildered Micah, the scene goes to real time and Micah is off down the court with the ball. Micah finds Cody in the post and Cody turns and shoots and scores. The scene goes from clip to clip as we see Micah hit a three pointer. Ellis hit a lay up after having blocked an Apostolic shot. The camera shows numerous shot being sunk by Augustine and Micah is on a role but looking at Cold frequently. Micah cannot miss right now as he leads his team to a 1 point lead with 15 seconds left. The crowd is cheering and the scene goes again to slow motion, as Apostolic’s point guard brings the ball up court. He stops to set up offense with a little over 8 seconds remaining. The crowd is on their feet and Micah is distracted by Cold walking in front of the rim and just standing their looking at Micah who looks back and is distracted long enough for the Apostolic point guard to heave up a prayer with Shorty in his face. The ball finds its way to the rim and just before the rip of the net, Cold exchanges a grin at Micah who is watching him and not the ball. The shot scores and Apostolic wins as their team runs onto the court to congratulate them. Augustine’s varsity basketball team hit the floor in agony except for Micah who is standing still, watching as Cold walks right out of the gym.
CUT TO:
INT. LOCKER ROOM - NIGHT
The team stands quietly except for the yelling and screaming of Shorty who is bashing everyone in the room except for himself. He looks at Ellis who is sitting silently and screams at him.
SHORTY
You suck Ellis, you can’t even hit a lay up, you have been playing for 100 years and you can’t even hit a lay up.
Shorty punches a locker as the coach sits quietly watching the scene play out.
SHORTY
We had it. We had it. What happened to you Micah? Where are you? Where were you?
Shorty walks gingerly past Micah picking up his bag on the way.

SHORTY
You suck. (to Micah under his breath)


Micah does not even look at him, he just lunges and throws Shorty against the locker. Shorty hits the ground and gets up and runs out of the locker room. As the team exits the locker room Ellis is the last one out except for Micah. Ellis puts a towel on Micah’s head and walks out of the room. Micah has not even attempted to change from his uniform yet and sits there with a blank stare. Ellis comes and sits down next to Micah who is sitting head held low and says nothing, just sits, after several seconds, Ellis pats Micah on the leg and gets up and goes to the next room in the locker room. The camera focuses back on Micah who sits and stares blankly at Cold who is standing in front of the door as if he were not going to let Micah leave this room. Micah gets up to change and he feels a very fast and sharp pain in his chest. The pain subsides for a moment and when Micah begins to get a hold of himself and continue it returns too strong for Micah’s strength and he collapses to the ground shaking violently. Ellis come in from the next room and tries to help Micah. Micah lies on the ground shaking in pain and grimacing, yet his eyes are fixed on the eyes of Cold who is standing in the doorway, smoking a cigarette and leaning against the doorway.
ELLIS
Micah! Micah!
Ellis grabs Micah
MICAH
Don’t touch me! Oh God, don’t touch me!
Ellis kneels over Micah silently, with nothing he can do but wait this one out and pray. Micah does not take his eyes off Cold in defiance, as Cold turns and leaves the locker room. As the door closes, the pain subsides and Micah passes out.
FADE OUT.

This Is My Suicide Letter, Part 2

INT. THE LIBRARY - NIGHT
Micah sits at a large table leafing vigorously through a rather large book. The camera zooms to show pictures of suicides. The first page is of a man hanging from a tree by the neck. Pictures are pencil drawn and of minimal detail.
MICAH
No, too long to die, way too long.
Micah turns the page and what he sees is a picture of a girl who has cut her wrists and is lying in a bath tub.
INT. CATHOLIC CHURCH - NIGHT
Back in the confessional.
MICAH
I like the mess the razor makes, but its really just a cry for help, I’d be found two weeks later still breathing and committed.

INT. THE LIBRARY - NIGHT
Micah getting frustrated turns the page again to see writing and on the next page, more writing, and the next the same, and the same, until Micah throws the book across the room as the woman at the end of the table watches in fear. Micah walks down the long aisles of books letting his fingers glide down all of the bindings of the books as he walks, camera focuses on the hand. Micah walks right out the front door, swinging both doors open as wide as the hinges will allow.
CUT TO:
INT. CATHOLIC CHURCH - NIGHT
MICAH
So what do I have to do to make this right with God?
FATHER MCAFFEREY
I don’t know if you could ever make suicide right with God. Are you looking for a way out?
MICAH
Don’t you think I’ve tried that. No one wants to die, the thought of not existing is unbearable. And I think that is why religion is so attractive to people. If we can believe there is no real end to life, it makes our lives easier to bear. It’s what keeps an old man from going insane with fear in his bed. But it seems to me that this is just another lie we tell ourselves. Life really can be more unbearable than death for some people.
FATHER MCAFFEREY
Son, I don’t really know what to tell you right now, except for you don’t have to live this way. (Micah rolls his eyes) I know, I know, I don’t know you or what you have been through, but if you would just open your mind to some of these fairy tales you keep talking about, you might find some truth in there somewhere. Something to give you peace.
MICAH
OK. I gotta go now, I’ve got a show tonight. See you around. (Micah smiles as he says this)
Micah leaves the church.
CUT TO:

EXT. OUTSIDE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH - NIGHT
Micah lights a cigarette and stares up at the bell tower of this large Catholic church, he then picks up a couple blades of grass, and throws them into the wind while looking up to the bell tower, imagery meant to show his desire to fly from the top of that tower. Micah begins walking back down the street that is by now virtually empty toward his house.
MICAH
(Narrated) Love is an interesting topic of discussion for today, would you like to tell me about the time that you felt most loved? No thanks doctor, but would you like to know why I hate dogs? I was in eighth grade and I was walking to school one morning, walking to school is what little boys do sometimes, when I saw before me, about a hundred yards away, two horses, at least they looked like horses, turns out they were pit bulls, what luck. I began to run shortly after they started chasing me, but too late to hop a fence. So I ran. The horses gained a lot of ground as I neared my street and I started to hear them panting and snarling, and doing that thing that horses do when they sneeze, and I could feel hot air on my ankles. What do you do Micah? Scream, no by the time help arrives; I'll be a biscuit. Turn and try to fight? That is now the funniest idea I've ever had. Maybe I'll reason with them. I'll just turn around and explain why a skinny little boy like me would never make a good meal, why they would be much more satisfied with a nice packet of oat meal. I jumped. I jumped right up onto a car and I was saved until help arrived, that, Dr. Smorgasbord, is why I hate dogs, and walking to school. Those things are real. Love is nothing more than a lie among a thousand others I have chosen to adopt.
FADE TO:
INT. ELLIS AND OLIVER’S HOUSE - DAY

Camera fades out from a close up from Micah’s face pressed against the floor of Ellis’s bedroom. The camera fades out to see Ellis sleeping on his bed and the alarm clock reading 11:34. Micah wakes and looks around the messy room, slightly disoriented, but comfortable.
MICAH
We going to school today? Ellis?
ELLIS
What! (Half-asleep)
MICAH
We goin to school today?
ELLIS
What time is it?
MICAH
11:30.
ELLIS
I don’t care, whatever you want to do.
MICAH
Let’s go cause some trouble.
ELLIS
What about Ollie? Did he go to school?
MICAH
I don’t know yet, but if he is he’ll be sorry he did.
CUT TO:
INT. ELLIS AND OLLIE’S HOUSE...OLLIE’S ROOM - DAY
Ollie is sleeping on the recliner in the living room, he is sucking his thumb and holding on to a pillow and is wearing a a pair of shorts and some argyle dress socks.
ELLIS
Get up Ollie!
OLLIE
What! (Jumping to a sitting position)
ELLIS
Come on, we gotta go.
CUT TO:
INT. VIDEO STORE - DAY
Micah, Ellis, and Ollie are pacing slowly up and down the aisle of this small video store. There are a small amount of people here at this time of day on a Tuesday afternoon. There are sounds of birds chirping violently and annoyingly. Micah, and the guys are walking and trying to ignore this for a while until frustration overcomes Ellis and he comments.
ELLIS
What is that? What is that stupid noise?
OLLIE
Sounds like birds gettin busy.
Micah walks away silently out of the picture while Ollie picks up a movie from the rack and shows it to Ellis.
ELLIS
What the heck is that?
Ollie holds up a copy of Rhinestone, the movie.
OLLIE
What, its Stallone, you’ve got to love Stallone.
ELLIS
You idiot.
OLLIE
What the heck is Micah doing?
They both look to see Micah speaking with the clerk at the desk. They approach to see what they are talking about.
MICAH
Two years now, I can take care of this problem.
CLERK
I don’t know, my boss isn’t here, and I don’t think I can authorize spending petty cash without her approval.
MICAH
Who said anything about money, I’m not charging you for my service, I enjoy your video store, and your service, and I would be glad to remove these birds for free. Most people give me 100 to 150 bucks to remove one bird, and from the sound of it you have at least three up there. You need help and I can help you, what is there to be approved?
Clerk stands and stares reluctantly for a moment two at Micah who looks sincere in his respect for this woman. After a couple of moments, Micah gives the girl a warm smile and she returns the smile with flirtatious one.
CLERK
OK. But try to get it done by five because my boss comes in at 6.
MICAH
You got it, be right back
Micah flashes her another smile and walks out the door with Ollie and Ellis trailing in bewilderment.
CUT TO:

This Is My Suicide Letter, Part 1

THIS IS MY SUICIDE LETTER (2006)
By: Adam Coffman. Shooting Script
FADE IN:
INT. OPENING - N/A
Black screen exposes the title, This Is My Suicide Letter, written three times on the screen.
INT. BLACK SCREEN - N/A
MICAH
(Through Black screen) There are elements of my life that I hate, ie. my sleeping patterns, my lack of motivation, and my ability to see in the dark.
INT. COURTROOM - DAY
Micah lies on a bench outside a courtroom staring at a small hole in the toe of a woman’s pantyhose, this woman is his mothers friend and Micah is lying on her lap. You can here the proceedings of the courtroom going on from the outside. Micah reaches down to the toe and begins fingering the hole in the hose making the hole bigger as the doors of the courtroom bust open and Micah’s father, Jim Courd steps out laughing and joking around with his lawyer. Following are other people, then Micah’s mother (Maxine Mcbain) weeping and holding her head to the floor as she exits without a lawyer from the courtroom.
CUT TO:
EXT. OUTSIDE THE COURTROOM
The party of people are now by the sidewalk outside of the courtroom and Maxine approaches Jim Courd while he is walking to his car.
MAXINE
This isn’t over!
JIM
Judge says it is, so it is.
MAXINE
Your really going to walk out of here after looking at your son, you’re just going to turn your head and go about your worthless life knowing you have a son somewhere growing up without a dad.
JIM
Listen! (Angry, then calms himself) Maxine, this boy is not my child, you need to understand that, why don’t you go and check with any other guys you may have been with.
MAXINE
You are it, I was only with you, you know that, don’t do this. Not to Micah.
Jim looks back at Maxine, then over to Micah who is with Maxine’s friend, and walks away to his car.
FADE OUT.

EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT
Camera fades in to a neighborhood at night. There is a large white house and a picket fence around it. This is the kind of house you would see in a Norman Rockwell painting. The house combusts in flames spontaneously and burns to the ground violently.
FADE TO BLACK.
EXT. UNDER A TREE - DAY
Micah writes in his suicide letter.
EXT. CITY STREET (CHRISTMAS) - NIGHT
Camera zooms out to show the teenage (19) face of Micah Mcbain. He is walking down a suburban street passing house after house lit up with Christmas lights and shoveled snow.
MICAH
(Narrated) In my life, I have only known two fears, Nuclear holocaust and airplanes. When I was young, we lived next to a park that I played in everyday. At this park is where I met Tom. Tom was a young man in his early twenties who used to sit in that park and play guitar all day long. (Camera Flash to Tom in the park) Tom was my best friend until I moved again a year later. He was an interesting mammal that had deep and scary visions of the future. It was from Tom that I learned about nuclear holocaust. Tom assured me that the old A-bomb was inevitable. The A-bomb would kill everyone in sight, and they say that Detroit is one of the major targets because of the car companies and nuclear plant, or so Tom said. So I have lived my life in expectation of the coming missile that will end our existence here in Michigan. Tom was a jerk. I was only eight or nine and I was all ready to build a fallout shelter. But today the threat still exists. Airplanes I fear for the obvious reasons. You are stuck in a tin can thousands of feet above any walking individual. You are up there above the clouds and all is well and then turbulence. The wings start shaking and the lights flicker, then you here the captain come on the speakers, "Bing, passengers, please fasten your seat belts because we are about to plummet out of the sky to the ocean and all of us will die, so let us help the rescue guys to find our bodies by fastening ourselves to the floating chairs, thank-you and enjoy your death." These things are the only fears I have had until now. It's really trivial when you think about it. Both fears bring instant death, when I should be fearing the things that bring long term death. The things that you see in an old man's eyes when you make a visit to the nursing home. This is more painful than the act of death itself. I just want to go quickly and without pain.
INT. CATHOLIC CHURCH - NIGHT
Micah drops a bottle of booze on the ground. The bottle does not break, but makes a long and annoying bang and rolls to the curb. Micah walks inside of a huge Catholic church and sits inside one of the confessionals. After a couple of seconds, a priest walks in and sits down.
FATHER MCAFFEREY
How can I help you son?
MICAH
Bless me Father for I have sinned and am about to sin. This is my first confession so I do not know really know how it works here, you know what I have to do to be forgiven by God or better yet, what does He have to do to be forgiven by me?
FATHER MCAFFEREY
What’s your name son?
MICAH
Micah Mcbain. I have been to this mass before and have listened to all of your stories of Jesus and God’s love for us and I’m not sure that I agree, I don’t really know what I believe. I guess I’m just searching for some kind of answer, some kind of vengeance. That’s why I am here.
FATHER MCAFFEREY
Vengeance? Against who?
MICAH
I don’t really know, my dad, God, you?
FATHER MCAFFEREY
I don’t really understand.
MICAH
Let me explain. His name was Chris, and he was my best friend. He was like the John Lennon of my neighborhood, he had girls and friends...
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. MICAH’S LIVING ROOM - DAY
Micah (12) and Chris are sitting Indian style on the floor playing Nintendo furiously. The phone rings and Micah pauses the game and answers.
MICAH 12
It’s your mom.
Chris takes the phone and talks to his mother as Micah walks back and cheats on the Nintendo game. Moments later Chris walks back into the room.
CHRIS
I gotta go home my mom and dad want to talk to me I think they found out what happened to the cat. Anyway, come over in like thirty minutes, they can’t kill me with you there.
MICAH 12
Alright sweetie, be there in a minute
Chris leaves the house through the front door and enters his own house.
CUT TO:
INT. CHRIS’S HOUSE - DAY
He enters his house which is a decent size house, not rich, but not poor either. Chris’ mom and dad are sitting across from each other on the couches talking silently when he walks in.
CHRIS’S MOM
Hi sweetie, how was school?
CHRIS
Fine, what’s going on
CHRIS’S MOM
Have a seat.
Chris walks over to the couch and sits down.
CHRIS’S MOM
Honey your father and I have been talking and we have come to some decisions that may change what home is like for you. These decisions we have made are not your fault and have nothing to do with you, you must know that we love you very much and would do anything for you and would never try to hurt you.
Camera closes in on Chris’ blank face.
CHRIS’S DAD
Chris, what your mother is trying to tell you is that I will be leaving here and moving to California to work there. I will not be returning for a very long time. Your mother and I have decided to get a divorce and I will be leaving you with her to take care of the household. You have to be a man here Chris, you need to take care of your mother and not be a baby and cry. You are now a man and I expect that you will act like one. I am leaving tomorrow morning before you get up, so we should talk about this tonight before bed. But I assure you that once I get myself established there, I’ll send for you on holidays and summers.
The room is so silent and tense you could cut it with a knife. Chris sits staring blankly with tears in his eyes silently.
CHRIS’S MOM
Chris don’t you want to talk about this?
Chris gets up and leave the room, he walks past his mother and father and right to the staircase that leads to his bedroom. He climbs the stares to his bedroom and enters.
FADE OUT.
INT. CHRIS’ HOUSE - DAY
Micah approaches Chris’ house and knocks on the door. Chris’ mom answers the door.
MICAH 12
Hi Mrs. Cotter, is Chris in too much trouble for me to come in?
CHRIS’S MOM
No, he is right upstairs, go on up.
Micah enters the house and goes up stairs quickly , excited to found out what happened, he bursts open the door of Chris’ room and stops dead in his tracks. He is speechless, or better yet unable to speak, unable to do anything, what he sees is Chris hanging by his throat from his ceiling fan, eyes wide open. Micah stares horrified, yet curiously at his friend hanging there for a moment. Chris’ mother comes walking up the stares to Chris’ room and walks in. She is also stopped in her tracks and lets out a loud shriek that startles his father and sends him running up the stairs to find the same. The camera pans over to the desk where there is a note that says, I’m sorry on it, written in red marker.
FADE TO BLACK
INT. CATHOLIC CHURCH - NIGHT
MICAH
I went to the library yesterday, to study historical, and efficient ways to end my own life. You really wouldn’t believe the amount of books there are on killing yourself, found them in the life-style section. Funny that one’s death could be a life-style but if you knew me, you would see to be fitting for me.

New Blog for Various and Random Work

Over the next few weeks, I will be posting a feature length script that I have written. I will post a few pages per day to make the reading a bit lighter. Hope you enjoy, this one is a bit disturbing at times.