Going Away By Jordan Knowles

Jordan Knowles

Jordanknowles474@gmail.com

FADE IN: INT. EMPTY BEDROOM - DAY Bedroom is almost empty, bare shelves and a carefully made bed. The doors of a wardrobe attached to the walls are wide open, and near it, DEREK, 18, dressed in a thick black coat and blue jeans, is on his knees, packing the clothes into a suitcase. Beside him is PAUL, 15, dressed in a blue T-shirt and a black tracksuit, lying down on the floor, crying deeply into his arms. Derek finishes packing the suitcase and turns it upright onto its wheels. He stands up and takes a couple of steps up to Paul, squatting somewhat, he nudges Paul with his hand. DEREK Get up. CUT TO: INT. FRONT ROOM - DAY Room is empty besides two settees, a large mirror and two suitcases standing on their wheels side by side. Somewhat spacious. Curtains are fully open and light fills the room. Derek is sitting beside a settee with his back against the wall is Paul sits beside him, his head burrowed in his arms, silent. Derek is watching him with a concerned expression. DEREK Paul? Paul doesnt move from his position. A short silence, then Derek turns his head slightly so as to look at Paul from above. DEREK Paul? Theyll be here soon, its not that bad. Paul does not move, Derek exhales in frustration and briefly holds his palms to his face. His hands trail upwards through his hair to the back of his head. DEREK I know what will cheer you up. Paul makes an illegible noise. Derek leans to where Pauls ear is. He is moving with more energy, slightly smirking. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

2.

DEREK How about a game of hide and seek? Pauls head jerks upwards. His eyes bulge out at Derek, his jaw slightly separated. He nods eagerly, making an unpleasant rasping sound. Derek grins. DEREK Ill hide, you count to 30. PAUL Okay! DEREK Go. Derek leaps up from his sitting position and Paul sinks his head into his arms. PAUL One Mississippi, two Mississippi Derek paces from the room as Paul begins counting. INT. HALL - DAY The hall is empty except for a low, wide cupboard by the front door. Derek walks fast from the living room to the stairs and begins to climb them. PAUL (O.S)(THROUGHOUT THE SCENE) four Mississippi... five Mississippi... CUT TO: INT. STAIRS - DAY Paul softly walking up the stairs, he is midway up. PAUL (O.S) Ten Mississippi...eCUT TO:

3.

INT. LANDING - DAY Derek is bending over by the base of a closed door, his hand fondling around the floor. The landing is like the other rooms, empty. Around the floor there are flakes of paint, and near the door is a key. Derek picks up the key and puts it into the lock. He turns the key. The door opens, and Derek slides through the door quietly before shutting it. Paul has been continuing his countdown, from fifteen to twenty five. INT.BEDROOM - DAY The bedroom is filled with clutter: old possessions such as clothes, china ornaments, books, lampshades, even a television. All this has been sprawled out haphazardly around the room like a dumping ground. The curtains are drawn, the room is dark. Derek locks the door from within the room before slumping onto the floor, resting his back against the door. Pauls countdown has reached to 30. PAUL (O.S) Ready or not, here I come! Paul is heard thumping around the downstairs. Derek looks around the bedroom and notices a photo frame set face down near his right. He reaches to grab the frame, and when he does shards of glass fall from the rims. He picks the photograph from the frame and brings it near his face. It depicts the two boys together on a sofa. Either side of them is an older man and a woman, both of them smiling. Derek observes the picture with a hard face. His expression suddenly changes into a look of disgust, and he aggressively rips the picture in half. He rips the halves into quarters and rips the quarters into tiny pieces before throwing the shreds across the room. He looks blankly onwards During this spout of anger, Pauls footsteps are heard plodding up the stairs. A loud series of knocks on the door Derek has his back to follows. PAUL (O.S) Derek? DEREK You found me.

(CONTINUED)

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4.

PAUL (O.S) I did? DEREK You did- Do you want a prize? PAUL (O.S) Yeah! DEREK How about I show you a secret? PAUL (O.S) A secret what? DEREK A secret hiding place. PAUL (O.S) Yes yes yes! DEREK Close your eyes and wait. Derek gets up from the floor and unlocks the door, opening it to Paul, his eyes tightly shut. INT. LANDING - DAY Stepping out of the bedroom and shutting the door, Derek gently grasps Paul arm. Derek leads Paul across a short space on the landing between the door on the left and the door on the right, which is open. INT. EMPTY BEDROOM - DAY Derek enters first, then Paul. Derek slowly guides him through the room to the open wardrobe. It is completely bare, with several pegs jutting from its pain section. Derek carefully guides Paul into the wardrobe, squeezing him in between the pegs. Without saying anything Paul shuts the wardrobe. DEREK You can open your eyes now, youre there. Stay put, okay? PAUL (O.S) Okay.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

5.

Derek begins to walk from the room, and as he does so a sharp ring is heard. He mutters an unheard slur from under his breath and speed walks out of the room. CUT TO: INT. STAIRS - DAY Derek is walking down the stairs at a fast pace. INT. HALL - DAY Derek reaches the hall, and opens the door. Standing there is a SOCIAL WORKER, in her early twenties, dressed smartly in a blazer and black skirt. She looks at Derek appears confused. She assertively steps into the house. SOCIAL WORKER Social Services here for someone DEREK Youre not the one whose been coming here- Pauls in thSOCIAL WORKER Yes, shes gone, and dont interrupt me. So where is he then? Derek does not reply, his expression has changed into a look of confusion and anger. The Social worker flits her neck around the empty hall, taking little notice of Dereks looming in front of her. Eventually she sets her gaze upon him. SOCIAL WORKER Well? He frowns at her. He is taller than her yet she retains a constantly assertive position. SOCIAL WORKER Oh for gods sake just tell me. I havent got the time to be messing around with you. She tries to maneuver herself around the room and into the other rooms, though Derek traces any movement she makes and blocks her way. From the upstairs, however, a slurring noise is heard. Perhaps a word or phrase, lost in translation from one room to another.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

6.

She looks upwards and makes an attempted start to the upstairs. Dereks face goes angrier, and he attaches himself to the walls that surround the stairs. The social worker does not this time fidget in agitation as she did before. She walks over to Derek and looks up at him. SOCIAL WORKER Derek? Is it? Derek- come on. Theres no need for all this aggression. Let me through. She goes on her toes, nearer his level, and looks calmly at him, however forced this may appear. SOCIAL WORKER Derek? Derek leans his head backwards slightly, causing the social worker to flinch slightly. Derek brings his head backwards and spits in her face. The woman lets of a slight scream, uttering several curse words loudly. She looks at Derek with as much disgust as he does her. She lurches forward towards him and points at him. SOCIAL WORKER You disgusting pig! Im not going to forget this! You just wait, Im getting the police involved, you just wait! Derek retains his hard faced expression, before finally she turns around and storms out of the house, slamming the door before her. It is quiet except the sound of footsteps on gravel from outside the door. Dereks arms loosen from the walls, yet he continues to stare at the front door. He turns away and slowly walks up the stairs. INT. STAIRS - DAY Derek walks from the stairs into the empty bedroom. INT. EMPTY BEDROOM - DAY Derek walks towards a corner of the room in-between the wardrobe and wall facing the doorway. Derek slumps in the corner, his expression mainly neutral, though veering into a kind of sadness.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

7.

PAUL (O.S) Can I come out now? DEREK In a minute He looks on with the blank expression now fixed. FADE OUT: