The Girl from the Closet
By
Bartolomeo S. LoPiccolo
"Save Me"
Copyright 2015 Contact Author:
Bartolomeo S. LoPiccolo [email protected]
Characters
MARY Hart: Mother to Lauren, wife to Nicholas
LAUREN HART: DAUGHTER TO MARY AND NICHOLAS
JEN MCDONALD: WIFE TO BILL, FRIEND TO MARY
NICHOLAS HART: HUSBAND TO MARY, FATHER TO LAUREN
BILL FEY: HUSBAND TO JEN
PETER: BOYFRIEND TO LAUREN
INT. MARY'S HOME
16 years before the Morgan Bells incident.
LAUREN:
Mom please let me out!
NICHOLAS:
(Yelling) You open that fucking
door bitch, I promise you that's
the last thing you do!
MARY:
(Crying) Honey, I cant. I'm so
sorry sweetheart. Ill bring you dinner. I promise.
Nicholas drinking rum straight out of the bottle.
MARY:
Um, sweetheart.
No response.
MARY: (cont'd)
(Nervously) Um...honey.
NICHOLAS:
What the fuck do you want you cunt!
MARY:
I'm sorry to disturb you but I need to go buy dinner for us tonight.
NICHOLAS:
I'm timing you, if your not back by
6:45, don't expect to have a daughter.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
MARY:
(Shaking) Wait what do you mean?
NICHOLAS:
I mean she wont be breathing when
you get home! Now go bitch! Your
wasting your time. You got 45
fucking minutes!
2.
Mary walks over to the closet and whispers before she goes.
MARY:
(Whispering) Honey , I love you and I promise I will be back very soon. One second.
Mary walks into the kitchen and grabs a big cutting knife.
She walks back over to the closet.
MARY: (cont'd)
(Whispering) Honey don't ever use
this unless you absolutely need to.
Okay?
She slips the knife under the door.
LAUREN:
(Tearing) Yes Mom, I promise.
MARY:
(Whispering) Okay I will be back in a little.
Mary exits.
3.
INT. JENS APARTMENT
Jen and Mary are talking and Mary is standing near the front
door. The apartment is all broken down.
MARY:
(Worried) Jen please help me.
JEN:
(Begins to cry) I wish I could help
Mary. I love her more than
anything. I just don't know what to
do. I say you call the police. You guys need to be safe.
MARY:
Jen I am so scared. I love her just
as much as you do, I don't know
what to do. He told me I have to be home by 6:45 or else he is going to hurt her.
JEN:
(Urgent) You have to go now Mary! I
know its only 6:20 and its only a
few blocks but you have to! We need
to make sure she is okay! Go!
MARY:
(Worried) Yes!
Mary is about to run out the door when she realizes
something.
MARY: (cont'd)
Wait Jen!
JEN:
Yes?!
MARY:
I was suppose to get dinner!
JEN:
Oh no! (Jen walks into the kitchen)
Here (gives Mary some peas and 3
cans of chicken soup). This is all we had for the next two days.
MARY:
I cant take this Jen.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
JEN:
You have to Mary, you have no other
choice or else he will kill you
both! Now go!
MARY:
Jen , I love you!
JEN:
I love you too! Oh and Mary! Please be careful.
4.
They hug and give a kiss.
Mary exits.
5.
INT. MARY'S HOME
Mary runs into the house and see's Nicholas sleeping on the
couch. She tries to be as quiet as possible and walks over to the closet.
MARY:
Psttt...Lauren.
No response.
MARY: (cont'd)
(whispering) Lauren?
She slowly opens up the closet and sees Lauren asleep.
MARY: (cont'd)
(Admires her) My angel. Lauren get up.
LAUREN:
(She opens her eyes)
Lauren grabs the knife and is about to attack when she realizes its her mother.
MARY:
(Screaming) Lauren!
LAUREN:
Oh my gosh mom! I'm sorry, I just got scared.
She runs out of the closet and over to Mary to give her a
hug and a kiss and then Nicholas wakes up.
NICHOLAS:
What the fuck did I tell you about
opening that closet!
MARY:
(Very nervous) Honey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to.
Nicholas punches her in the face and throws her onto the
floor.
LAUREN:
(Crying) Dad please stop it!
NICHOLAS:
Shut the fuck up you dirty slut!
(Throws her into the closet)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 6.
Lauren looks at the knife her mom gave her and picks it up.
LAUREN:
Leave her alone or I'll do it!
Nicholas turns around.
NICHOLAS:
What ?! Excuse me you bitch?! I'm
your father!
He begins to laugh. Mary is still on the floor. Her nose is bleeding.
LAUREN:
Shut the hell up!
NICHOLAS:
What bitch?!
LAUREN:
You heard me!
Nicholas slaps Lauren in the face and grabs the knife. He grabs her hair and puts the knife to her throat.
NICHOLAS:
(Aggressive tone) You ever do that
again. You and your mother are both dead.
He throws her into the closet.
NICHOLAS: (cont'd)
(Yelling) Your staying in there for two days and no food either! (Looks
at Mary) And you bitch get the the fuck up.
He kicks her in the stomach.
7.
INT. JENS APARTMENT
Bill walks into the apartment . Jen is trying to clean the
kitchen counter with toilet paper.
BILL:
(Calls out) Hey honey!
JEN:
I'm in the kitchen!
He walks over to the kitchen.
BILL:
What are you doing?
JEN:
(Giving him the cold shoulder) Just trying to clean a little.
BILL:
Can I ask you something?
JEN:
(Angrily) What?!
BILL:
That! That's what I want to know.
What is wrong with you lately?
J
EN:
(Yelling) What is wrong with me
lately?! Look (pointing to the
broken faucet) I haven't been able
to get clean water out of that
thing for a year! We are poor! We
have nothing! And that's not what I even care about! But I just want to
live and our daughter- (gets quiet
and keeps cleaning)
BILL:
(Urgent) Wait what about our
daughter?
JEN:
Mary came over earlier.
BILL:
And?
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
JEN:
(Begins to cry) He's abusing them?
BILL:
(Aggressive) Who?
JEN:
...Nick. She said he locks Lauren
in the closet and-
BILL:
What?!! That's it I'm going over
there now. I'm going to kill that
mother fucker!
JEN:
No Bill you cant!
BILL:
I told you Jen! I told this was a
horrible idea! All because of money issues.
JEN:
She would have been dead here we
would have had nothing to feed her!
BILL:
Oh so abusing her is better?!
JEN:
(Crying) Of course not! But Bill
you can't go there I'm telling you.
If you go there and he finds out ,
he will kill them both! I'm telling you please don't.
BILL:
(Going towards the front door) Not if I kill him first.
JEN:
NO! Please honey! Dont!
BILL:
(Getting Angry) I cant let him do
this anymore ! That's our blood!
JEN:
(Crying) I know! I know! But we
just cant or else we might lose her
for good!
8.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
BILL:
Fine, but I'm going to find a way to get her.
JEN:
Me too honey.
BILL:
I'm going to sleep.
JEN:
We need new blankets those are
ripping and I haven't been able to
clean them because I have no detergent.
BILL:
I said...I am going to bed. Good night.
9.
Bill exits to the bedroom and Jen begins to drown in her
tears.
10.
INT. MARY'S HOME
Mary still lays on the floor from the night before where
Nicholas threw her and Lauren remains in the closet.
MARY:
(Waking up on the floor) Ow...
(Touching her ribs)
LAUREN:
Mom? Mom are you okay? I think I heard him leave.
MARY:
Hold on baby girl, I'm going to
check. (She slowly gets up in pain)
Yeah he's gone. He must have went
to the store to get booze or something.
She walks over to the closet and opens it.
LAUREN:
Mom are you okay?
MARY:
I'm fine sweetie. Don't worry about me.
They both walk into the kitchen to get some food.
MARY: (cont'd)
(Bending down into the cabinet)
Here honey... Ahhh! (Mary falls to
the floor)
LAUREN:
(Worried) Mom! Whats wrong?!
She sees her mother grabbing her ribs in pain. Lauren lifts
her shirt up and reveals a huge black and blue on her ribs.
LAUREN: (cont'd)
Oh my Gosh! Mom! We need to get you to a hospital or something.
MARY:
Honey we cant do anything about it.
LAUREN:
But my mom your hurt badly.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
MARY:
(Barely able to speak)
Sweetheart...I...told you...I'm fine.
LAUREN:
We need to get out of here. I don't care. C'mon.
11.
She lifts her mom up and holds her.
MARY:
(Yelling) I told you we cant
Lauren!
Mary throws herself off of Lauren and falls once again to
the floor.
LAUREN:
Mom what the hell are you doing?!
MARY:
I'm saving your life!
LAUREN:
By trying to take your own?!
MARY:
If that's what it takes then yes.
A car pulls into the drive way.
MARY: (cont'd)
Get in the closet now!
LAUREN:
Why?!
MARY:
Cause he's here! I just heard the
car! Go!
LAUREN:
But mom I cant leave you like
this?!
MARY:
Go!
Lauren runs back into the closet. Mary still lays on the
floor.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 12.
NICHOLAS:
I'm home!
MARY:
Hey...babe.
NICHOLAS:
Hey...wait why is the kitchen
cabinets open?
MARY:
I was just trying to eat something that's all.
NICHOLAS:
And did you?
MARY:
Yes I did.
NICHOLAS:
Oh really? What did you have?
MARY:
Sweet peas.
NICHOLAS:
You fucking liar!
He lifts her up by her hair.
MARY:
Ahhh! Please Nicholas I am already
in pain!
NICHOLAS:
You are a fucking liar.
He punches her in the face.
LAUREN:
(Yelling from the closet) Mom!!!!!
NICHOLAS:
Shut the fuck up in there!
Nicholas is still hitting Mary. Lauren runs out of the closet.
LAUREN:
Get the fuck off of her!
Nicholas grabs Lauren and throws her too. She hits her head onto the wall and becomes unconscious.
INT. JENS APARTMENT
Bill and Jen are arguing.
JEN:
Fine then I'm leaving you.
BILL:
What do you mean leaving me?
JEN:
Bill I love you so much. I really
do. It makes me sick because of how
much I love you. And I don't want
money. I just need to live and
survive and I just don't have that
here. (Begins to cry) I am so
sorry. I will always love you.
13.
She runs up to Bill and hugs him tight and they share one
last goodbye.
BILL:
Where are you going to go?
JEN:
My mothers. She said she has room for me.
Jen is about to exit.
BILL:
Jen...I love you.
She turns back.
JEN:
Bill...I love you too.
Jen shuts the door and exits.
14.
EXT. OUTSIDE
Jen is walking to the train. She takes her phone out of her
pocket.
JEN:
&nbs
p; Hey mah...yeah...so I was thinking
of taking you up on that
offer...yeah I love him mom I
really do...yeah but I just cant
anymore...the money between us is
so bad...I need to start a new
life...I know mom...yeah well I'm
walking to the train now...its about five blocks away...don't worry I'll take the train.
Jen proceeds to walk and hears something loud which happens
to be on Mary's block.
JEN: (cont'd)
Mom... I got to go! (Hangs up)
She begins to run five houses down from where she is and
reaches Mary's house. She hears more loud noises coming from
inside the home and screaming. She picks up her phone to call the police.
JEN: (cont'd)
Hello! 911...I got an emergency on
84th street and Browns avenue!
Please hurry!
A 16 year old boy passes by and sees Jen running up the steps to Mary's house.
BOY:
Hey are you Lauren's mother?
Jen turns around.
JEN:
No...I'm sorry but I have to go.
BOY:
Oh...I'm sorry. I am Peter by the way.
JEN:
Jen...nice to meet you but I really have to go.
They both hear screaming coming from inside the house.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 15.
JEN & PETER:
Lauren!
PETER:
Did you call the police?! It sounds
The Girl from the Closet Page 1