SHADOW

Written by

Gabriel Belay

Address
Phone Number
INT. DINING ROOM- NIGHT

A family. HUSBAND and WIFE sit at the dinner table with their
two children. A YOUNG GIRL(8) and a BABY in a high chair.

The father is feeding the baby it GURGLES smiling as his

father makes AEROPLANE noises, and the accompanying hand
movements.

The little girl watches a cartoon on her Ipad, absently

making her way through her plate of food. The wife has a set
of papers in front her. She is thumbing through a phone in
one hand, a pen in the other scribbling notes.

INT. KITCHEN- NIGHT

The wife is at the sink rinsing a lathered dish she hands it

to her husband who dries it with a cloth.

INT. BABIES BEDROOM- NIGHT

The Father places the baby in his crib. He kisses him on the
forehead and leaves.

The baby stares up at the mobile that spins above him.

INT. YOUNG GIRLS BEDROOM- NIGHT

The young girl, sits on her bed legs crossed the Ipad on her
lap, Headphones in her ears.

INT. LIVING ROOM- NIGHT

The husband sits reclined on the couch his feet propped on

the coffee table in front of him. His wife is nestled beside
him. The TV plays.

INT. HALLWAY- NIGHT

The husband pads down the hallway.

EXT. BATHROOM- NIGHT

The door is open. A crack of light spills into the dark

hallway.

He URINATES.
 2.

He FLUSHES.

INT. BABIES BEDROOM- NIGHT

The husband stands by the door he watches his child sleep.

The mobile spins.

INT. YOUNG GIRLS BEDROOM- NIGHT

The husband moves forward, his daughter has fallen asleep

with her Ipad beside her. He places it on the bed side
drawer. He adjusts her covers. He stands for a moment
watching her sleep.

INT. BEDRROOM- DAY

The husband gets into bed pulling the covers aside. He kisses
his wife who is propped up on pillows reading beside him.

He turns off his bed side lamp and turns over to sleep. After
a moment his wife places a mark in her book and does the
same.

INT.KITCHEN-NIGHT

The modern kitchen is dark and still. Dishes dry in a rack.

INT. YOUNG GIRLS BEDROOM- NIGHT

The young girl sleeps peacefully. Her chest rising and

falling.

INT. HALLWAY- NIGHT

Empty and silent.

INT. BABIES ROOM- NIGHT

The baby sleeps. The mobile turns above him.

INT. DINING ROOM- DAY

Clean, empty and hushed.

 3.

INT. BOTTOM OF LANDING- NIGHT

Still and quiet. Suburbia dead to the world at this late

hour.

The mounted light flickers and dims.

A dark faceless figure peels it self from the shadows.

INT. BEDROOM- NIGHT

The husband turns in his sleep adjusting his position.

INT. HALLWAY- NIGHT

The figure stands in the dark hallway.

INT. BABIES BEDROOM- NIGHT

The dark figure stands over the babies crib. The mobile
spins.

The constellation lamp beside his crib flickers and dies.

EXT. LIVING ROOM- DAY

Through the window we watch the mother sitting on a couch she

cries, her head on her husbands shoulder. A police officer
stands above them taking notes in a pad.

INT. LIVING ROOM- DAY

The young girl stands shuffling, confused ,just outside the
door a teddy bear in her hand.

The wife extends her hand and the daughter rushes forward.
She buries herself in her mother.

INT. DINING ROOM- NIGHT

The family sit at the dinner table. The husband and wifes
eyes are glazed, their food untouched.

The daughter watches cartoons on her Ipad as she plays with

her food. The theme song loud and cheerful plays through the
silence.
 4.

The wife stands and leaves. The husband lifts his head to
watch her. He doesn't follow.

EXT. BABIES BEDROOM- NIGHT

The husband stands at the door looking in on the room. The

crib is empty. He closes the door behind him.

INT. YOUNG GIRLS BEDROOM- NIGHT

The young girl is sprawled on her bed fast asleep.

INT. BEDROOM- NIGHT

The husband stands at the bed quietly undressing. The wife

lays with her back to him her eyes open.

He climbs in and lies down. He stares at the ceiling.

INT. LANDING - NIGHT

Still and quiet.

INT. BEDROOM- NIGHT

Husband and wife sound asleep.

INT. BOTTOM OF STAIRS- NIGHT

The figure stands.

The light flicker and dims.

INT. YOUNG GIRLS BEDROOM- DAY

The young girl turns in sleep her sleep. Her foot dangles on
her low bed, her toes brushing the carpet.

INT. HALLWAY- NIGHT

The figure stands in the hall. Still and shadowed.

INT. YOUNG GIRLS BEDROOM- DAY

A shadow is cast over the sleeping girl.

 5.

INT. KITCHEN- DAY

The wife stands at the kitchen sink the water running. She
stares out of the window. Her face is sunken and her eyes are
red.

EXT. YOUNG GIRLS BEDROOM- NIGHT

The husband stands watching his wife. She is curled on the

their daughter small bed. The blanket balled and clutched to
her chest.

INT. BABIES BEDROOM- NIGHT

The husband runs his hand along a cabinet. Stuffed animals

sit lopsided. Letter blocks spell out Charlie.

He stands over an empty crib.

INT. HALLWAY- NIGHT

Empty, still.

INT. KITCHEN- DAY

The tap DRIPS. Monotonous.

INT. YOUNG GIRLS BEDROOM- NIGHT

The husband sits in an armchair watching his wife. She is

fast asleep on the small pink bed.
His head drops. He snaps it up.

INT. DINING ROOM- NIGHT

Cluttered. The tap can be heard. DRIP. DRIP. DRIP. DRIP.

INT. YOUNG GIRLS BEDROOM- NIGHT

The husbands eyes slowly close. He sits in the armchair head

nodded. His wife asleep in front of him.

The lamp on the cabinet extinguishes.

The room goes dark.

 6.

EXT. HOUSE- DAY

A lazy summer afternoon, the sun is high.

A sign sits on the overgrown front yard. It reads: SOLD.

A moving truck sits at the end of the drive way.

A MAN stands facing the house proudly, his WIFE beside him.
His arm around her.

He bends picking up his DAUGHTER(4). The rim of her mouth is

bright red, a popsicle melts in her hand.

INT. KITCHEN- DAY

The man brings a large cardboard box into the kitchen and
places it on the tiled floor.

The wife is at the counter unwrapping plates and placing them

in the open cupboard above her head.

He moves forward to put his arms around her waist and kiss
her on the cheek.

INT. HALLWAY- DAY

The little girl is on the floor playing with her toys.

INT. DINING ROOM- NIGHT

The family sit surrounded by boxes. Except for the playing

television the dining room is devoid of any furniture.
They sit on the floor, a pizza half eaten in front of them.
The daughter sat in her mothers lap is making her way through
a slice. Sauce covering her fingers and chubby cheeks.

The father wipes at her face. She smiles.

INT. DAUGHTERS BEDROOM- NIGHT

Dust covered white sheets drape every surface.

Stacks of labeled containers and boxes are piled in the

corner.

A single mattress lays on the floor, the blanket and pillow,

pink.
 7.

The father enters, placing his sleeping daughter gently on

it. She turns adjusting her position. The father moves the
blanket to cover her.

INT. BATHROOM- NIGHT

The man and his wife stand at the sink brushing their teeth.

INT. HALLWAY- NIGHT

The man moves a along the hallway balancing two large boxes.

INT. BEDROOM- NIGHT

The man enters placing the boxes on the floor.

His wife is asleep.

He undress, turns of the lamp beside their bed and joins his
wife.

He moves close to her. She turns into his arms.

He closes his eyes and falls asleep.

INT.KITCHEN-NIGHT

Open boxes sit on the kitchen counter. A cupboard door has

been left open.

INT. DAUGHTERS BEDROOM- NIGHT

The daughter sleeps soundly, her little chest rising a
falling.

INT. DINING ROOM- DAY

Apart from the number of stacked boxes of varying sizes the

room is empty and silent.

INT. BEDROOM- NIGHT

The man and is wife are wrapped in each other asleep.

Moonlight pours into the room from the window.
 8.

INT. HALLWAY- NIGHT

Empty and silent.

INT. BOTTOM OF STAIRS- NIGHT

The mounted light flickers.