Scene 10
INT./EXT. KITCHEN/FRONT YARD - DAY
Charles stealthily fills up a PICNIC BASKET with some bread from the oven. Annie SHUFFLES o.s. with a mop, while the baby chuckles, o.s. He gets more food from a cold pantry in the front yard. He leaves with the empty WOOD CRATE thrown out in the yard.
INT./EXT. A SMALL QUARTER - DAY
Charles enters a one-room quarter through an open side door and puts the basket in the open kitchen. A bed, two chairs, a wooden shelf and a cabinet occupy the rest of the room.
Everything is NEATLY ARRANGED, looks PRETTY, though plain, and feels WARM and WELCOMING. The Young Black Boy seen before in the market RUNS IN from another side door in the opposite wall.
BOY
Sharl! Sharl!
Charles signals him to sush.
BOY
Bread? Sweet bread?
Charles hands him a sweet roll from the basket.
CHARLES
I will come later to pick up the basket. Tell mama, don’t bother to have it send back. Okay?
BOY
(points to backyard)
Mama with wash.
CHARLES
Just tell her when I leave.
Back outside, Charles stoops to pick up the crate, then peeks into the tiny, fenced backyard. A common clothesline runs behind all the quarters. The YOUNG BLACK WOMAN, ROXANA, is hanging clothes. There are still plenty of items to go.
Charles steps out and quietly helps. Roxana doesn’t say anything but smiles and continues. When the basket is empty, Charles touches his cap and leaves.
Scene 11
EXT. WOODSHED (COTTAGE) BY THE LAKE - NIGHT
MUSIC: Eerie notes play.
Twilight is changing into darkness over the lake. Charles hesitantly approaches the shed, FACE CLOUDED, BROW SWEATY. Low o.s. BUSTLE of activity is heard. Charles pushes the door open with a CREEK. WOODEN SLABS of various shapes and sizes along with WOODWORKING EQUIPMENT are partially visible.
Charles seems lightheaded as he looks around extremely confused and tense. He can’t make sense of what’s happening to him and why. He grabs his head and tightly shuts his eyes. There is FOOTFALL behind him.
JACK
Charles! How are you doing?
(notices the crate)
You want some wood? Logs?
CHARLES
(startled, mumbles)
I want some wood, logs, for the fuel...
JACK
Here. These will be good for a number of uses.
Jack fills the crate to the top with logs, blocks etc. from inside the room. Still affected, Charles takes out a small purse with the force of will.
JACK
Hey, don’t! You are here for the first time, no charges today.
(beat)
I found out nobody had a claim to the shed anymore. It’s officially my home now. I got papers from--
CHARLES
Why are you telling me this?
JACK
You may have forgotten whose it used to be...
CHARLES
I couldn’t. I was born in it.
JACK
Hey, why don’t you come inside? Let’s have a swag. We’ll roast some beef out here. We were friends, we can be friends again...
YOU ARE READING
The Narcissus
Historical FictionScreenplay is the script of a film, including acting instructions and scene directions. Complete manuscript to be updated once in a while.
