The Difficult Hour: Original Screenplay

Part 7: Scenes From A Family

INT.  GRACE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Grace opens the bedroom door and stops, looking at herself in the mirror. She shudders, pacing restlessly, she looks down to find her hands shaking.
There is a knock on the door.

GRACE
What.
LENA (O.S.)
It's Maman, chere.

Grace groans soundlessly and pantomimes pulling her hair out.

GRACE
I'm really tired.
LENA (O.S.)
This will only take a minute.
GRACE
Mama Lena--

The door opens and Lena walks in, shutting it behind her.

LENA
Tite...I had no idea...I thought you knew.

Lena steps forward to put a hand on Grace's arm.

LENA
If only you would let me into your life a little, I might--

Grace steps away.

GRACE
Ah, of course. Your little visitation isn't about checking on me.
As always it's about you; and my constant, unrelenting mistreatment--
LENA
Watch yourself Grace Anne.

They stare at each other silently...Grace looks away first.

GRACE
It's...you relish these...scenes. I'm afraid I don't.

Lena smiles softly, sadly and drifts around the room, coming to stand before Grace.

LENA
Scenes?

Lena strokes Grace's cheek. Grace seems to soften.

LENA
Perhaps it's because I can't seem to touch you--except in scenes.

Graces tenses and draws away.

GRACE
Well Eleanor..it's no more than you deserve.

Grace opens her door and Lena stalks out. Grace sees Michael coming down the hall and lifts a hand to ward him off.

GRACE
I'm not speaking to you. She starts closing the door.
MICHAEL
Grace!

He races to make the door before she closes it but Grace locks him out.

INT.  HALLWAY
Michael finds the door locked.

MICHAEL
(quietly)
Grace, let me in.
(beat)
Talk to me.

INT.  GRACE'S BEDROOM
On the other side Grace leans against the door, her eyes a well of pain. Her voice a broken whisper.

GRACE
I will not feel guilty. I...will not...feel
MICHAEL
(resignedly)
Gracie, no, don--
GRACE
anything.

Composed, she begins to unpack, reaches for something with fingers that tremble. She stops, looks down at the offending hand, stills the tremor and calmly takes up her packing again.

INT.   LENA AND HARRY'S BEDROOM
Harry, wearing a robe, preens before a mirror.

INT.  MIKE'S OFFICE
Iain writes and Markham reads his comic book. Michael sticks his head in the door, he looks worn clear through.

MICHAEL
I'm going to bed, you guys need anything?
IAIN
No, we're good.
MARKHAM
See you in the morning son.

Michael closes the door. Markham and Iain exchange a look.

MARKHAM
Well, now.

Iain goes back to his book.

INT.  ANNA AND MIKE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Anna sits at the vanity going through her nightly beauty ritual. Michael wears pajama bottoms, searches out his book and then stretches. She watches him in the mirror but goes back to her regimen before he can catch her at it.

ANNA
How long is she staying, has she said?

He moves to lean over her, watching Anna's face in the mirror.

MICHAEL
Apparently, that information is strictly need to know.

Michael runs his fingertips along the inside of her wrist.

ANNA
Three days.

He leans down to kiss her shoulder.

MICHAEL
Okay.

Anna leans away from him and rises abruptly.

ANNA
I mean it Michael. Three days is all I can take of your
mother.

Michael leans against the vanity and watches Anna wrap a satin scarf around her hair.

MICHAEL
I said, 'Okay'.
(beat)
Has she ever stayed longer than three days?
ANNA
No.
MICHAEL
Then let's assume she won't this time, shall we?

They are silent.

ANNA
Wasn't dinner just wonderful?

Michael groans and sits down on the bed, rubbing his hands over his face. Anna comes to kneel in front of him her eyes searching his face.

ANNA
Too many secrets.

He laughs mirthlessly, starting to turn away from her but she grips his hands.

MICHAEL
I know...I know. But there's nothing...I'm so afraid for
her. Lately it's like she's slipping away...and now this.
ANNA
Maybe it's the best thing. Maybe it's time for it all to
come out.

He looks at her for a moment. She cradles his cheek in her hand, Michael turns his mouth into her palm.

MICHAEL
Their relationship already hangs by a thread.
If my mother knew the truth about how Seth
died--I can't, it's like--

She smiles at him.

MICHAEL
I know, I'm so coherent tonight. He smiles and kisses
the inside of her wrist.You know what would be really
great? If my mother could move in with us! We could
have this kind of fun all the time!

She tackles him back onto the bed. Laughing, he rolls her over on her back and leans over her.

MICHAEL
You are...extremely beautiful, you know?

Anna's soft smile at the compliment is transformed into giggles as Michael tickles her playfully. She grabs him around his neck and the two begin to kiss.

                                            FADE OUT.

INT.  GRACE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Grace lays in bed, struggling against a nightmare.

EXT.  A BOAT ON A LAKE - NIGHT
Seth is in the boat looking over the side.  Young Grace is laughing. Seth is laughing and holding an oar out into the water. Young Michael is in the water laughing. Treading water and still laughing, he begins to drown.

Seth tries to hit Young Michael with the oar. Tears stream down Young Grace's cheeks, she is still laughing as she tugs on Seth's arm. Seth turns suddenly, his face stretched, his eyes red; he bares the teeth of an animal.

Young Grace screams with laughter and hits out at Seth with the other oar. There is a crack and older Grace stands still for a moment, her eyes staring, a bloody gash on her head, before falling face down into the water. From beneath the water her eyes are open and dark blood drifts from her head wound.

INT.  GRACE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Grace starts awake, sweating and breathing hard. She dresses, grabs a bag and leaves the room.

EXT.  THE BEACH - EARLY MORNING
From atop a precipice, water churns and crashes against the rocks. Grace's solemn face appears over the edge, her hair whipping about her shoulders. In her hands is a large rock. She dropsit, watching as it breaks into pieces against the cliff face and is lost into the water below.