Dirt

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Dirt

EXT. DIRT’S BACK YARD. DAY (DREAM) CAROL, 46, long dark hair, dances around a weeded overgrown lawn in a long summer dress and sheer shawl in a euphoric state of mind. DIRT V.O. I liked her when she was in her fantasy world. My brother Mat and I would watch her, like we would watch a horror movie… Carol prances over to MAT (5 years old) and DIRT(8 years old) and waves the shawl across their faces. DIRT V.O. (CONT’D) …waiting for the killer to emerge from the closet and kill us all. INT. DIRT’S HOUSE. KITCHEN. NIGHT. (DREAM) Carol emerges from the KITCHEN in their small quaint house in hysteria. She is throwing dishes at YOUNG DIRT, finally hitting him in the head and making him bleed. She laughs in pride. INT. DIRT’S HOUSE. LIVING ROOM. NIGHT. (DREAM) YOUNG DIRT grabs YOUNG MAT who is in the corner of the LIVING ROOM crouched up with his hands over his ears. They run out of the house. EXT. HALAH’S HOUSE. FRONT PORCH. NIGHT.(DREAM) YOUNG DIRT and YOUNG MAT run directly to HALAH’S HOUSE house next-door. INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. FRONT YARD. NIGHT.(DREAM) YOUNG DIRT Halah! INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. FRONT PORCH. NIGHT.(DREAM) YOUNG DIRT and YOUNG MAT run up the porch stairs.

DIRT V.O. (CONT’D) I prefer these dreams. INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. ENTRY WAY. NIGHT.(DREAM) YOUNG DIRT runs into HALAH’S lit but EMPTY HOUSE out of breath and bleeding while YOUNG MAT holds on to YOUNG DIRT’S arm as they pause at the entry way. DIRT V.O. (CONT’D) I didn’t like them…but I could take them… because they already happened. It was when my dreams became nightmares… INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. STAIRCASE. NIGHT.(DREAM) YOUNG DIRT runs up the staircase. INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY. NIGHT. (NIGHTMARE) YOUNG DIRT enters the upstairs hallway to find his mother CAROL brutally stabbing MODERN DAY HALAH in the stomach. INT. DIRT AND MAT’S HOUSE. DIRT’S BEDROOM. NIGHT. 22-year-old DIRT pops open his eyes and quickly sits up on his twin sized bed. The BEDROOM is dark and looks very much like a house where only boys live. White dirty walls, dingy carpet, one dresser, one night stand and in the corner is another twin sized bed that MAT is sleeping on. He begins to put on his old worn out Doc martin shoes and jacket. The digital alarm clock on the nightstand reads 3:16 am. Dirt rushes out the door quietly trying not to wake Mat. Dirt runs out the house. EXT. HALAH’S HOUSE. SIDE OF HOUSE. NIGHT. A panting DIRT comes to a small two-story house and creeps to the side door

INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. SIDE PORCH. NIGHT. DIRT removes a brick in the wall and takes out a key that unlocks the side door. INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. KITCHEN. NIGHT. DIRT enters a quiet and dark kitchen and gently closes the door behind him. INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. STAIRCASE. NIGHT DIRT creeps up the carpeted stairs. INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. HALAH’S BEDROOM. NIGHT. DIRT slowly opens the door to HALAH’S moonlit BEDROOM which is the same bedroom from his dream. He stares at HALAH, 19, fair skin, dark long hair in relief as she peacefully sleeps supine in her twin bed and white comforter. He closes the door behind him, walks past a white rocking chair and arrives at the side of her bed. Dirt then lifts and carries Halah out of bed. Halah casually awakens in Dirt’s arms and rests her head on his chest. Dirt sits on the rocking chair and begins to pet her hair. Halah lifts her head with a light yawn and stares into Dirt’s eyes. Dirt gently moves Halah’s head back on his chest. DIRT Go back to sleep. HALAH (closes her eyes) I know you get scared, but you have to cut this out before my dad catches you again. DIRT (leans his head back) I know…I can’t help it. HALAH I’m always ok though. I know. DIRT I’m just scared that (pauses)

that one time when I don’t show up, something will happen to you. Dirt stands up with Halah still in his arms and gently puts her back in bed while kissing her gently on the lips goodnight as he releases her on to the bed. Halah returns his affection by accepting his kiss. Dirt then covers Halah with the white comforter and walks out of the room. DIRT V.O. Like my mother, I am also a paranoid schizophrenic. In my world, there is nothing but paranoia, fear, and the killing of my one true love, the love of my life. Whatever it is I can’t tell the difference of what is and what isn’t reality. INT. DIRT AND MAT’S HOUSE. BEDROOM. NIGHT. DIRT awakes from his slumber once again and pops open his eyes. He sits up, it is still dark outside, and wonders if he went to Halah’s house at all that night. He then quickly begins to put on his shoes and clothes. As Dirt is about to sneak out of the room, Mat, in the bed adjacent to Dirt’s bed. MAT (turns on his side and faces Dirt) You already went. Dirt stops in confusion and looks at the clock that reads 5:10 am. INT. LIMWRECK PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL. DR. RYAN’S OFFICE. MORNING. Dirt is suddenly standing in the middle Dr.Ryan’s small and rustic office. Dirt stares at the analog clock on a bare wall. DR.RYAN a very sophisticated 40 something psychotherapist stands across from DIRT holding her coffee mug. She appears to have just asked Dirt a question, however, Dirt was not paying attention to

her. DR. RYAN (stares intently at DIRT) Dirt? Dirt turns his attention to her and quickly tries to focus. DIRT I’m sorry. What did you say? DR. RYAN (smiles politely) I asked how you were feeling today? DIRT I’m feeling ok. DR. RYAN Let’s have a seat. DIRT sits in the chair nearest to him. DR. RYAN pulls out a chair from the corner and rolls it opposite from Dirt so that they are a few feet opposite each other with nothing in between them. She sits in the chair, still gripping her mug. DR. RYAN I know it’s difficult. However, I need you to try to focus. DIRT Yeah, okay. DR. RYAN The mind is the most powerful instrument in our body. The greatest mind in the world said that if we have faith the size of a mustard grain, we could move mountains. Brainpower… it is believing in something so strongly that it is real. DIRT (clears throat) You mean, how I expect to see my mom killing Halah all the time?

DR. RYAN Yes, but also… DIRT (interrupts) After I killed my mother that night, I didn’t feel that she was completely gone.That’s when all the nightmares and hallucinations began. Halah is always getting killed, and the same way toostabbed by my mother. DR. RYAN Did you see Halah today? Dirt becomes silent and you could see the panic and worry in his eyes. DIRT I…I don’t think so. Dirt suddenly stands up. DR.RYAN Please, sit down! Everything’s all right! Calm down. Though, I have been asking you to bring Halah into one of our sessions for sometime now. I really think it will help us make progress. Dirt hesitantly sits back down on the chair. INT. HALAH’S BEDROOM. NIGHT.(FLASHBACK) DIRT lifts HALAH from off her bed from the night before. INT. LIMWRECK PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL. DR. RYAN’S OFFICE. MORNING. DR. RYAN Dirt? Dirt snaps out of a trance. DIRT

Yeah? DR. RYAN You’re still wondering is she’s all right, aren’t you? DIRT Can’t help it. DR.RYAN Okay, you can go to her so you can see for yourself that she’s all right. Dirt rushes to his feet. However! her. DR.RYAN You must come back with

DIRT Can I bring her in an hour or so? DR.RYAN Uh…sure…My schedule is relatively slow today. Dirt rushes out of Dr.Ryan’s office. EXT. HALAH’S HOUSE. DAY DIRT is now in front of HALAH‘S HOUSE. He knocks on the front door a few times then opens the door. INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. HALAH’S LIVING ROOM. DAY DIRT opens the door and is greeted by a spotted blood Trail that frightens him. INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. HALAH’S HALLWAY. DAY In horror, Dirt follows the trail up through the hallway. INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. HALAH’S BATHROOM. DAY

her

DIRT finally gets to the BATHROOM. He opens the door to find HALAH sitting on the closed toilet seat, holding a dead pigeon with blood dripping from hands. Halah is crying, as she slowly looks up at Dirt HALAH (weeping) It flew into my window and broke it’s neck. Dirt kneels down in front of Halah. DIRT (consoles) It’s not your fault. Halah cries as she stares down at the bird. HALAH I should’ve had my curtains closed. Dirt puts his hands on her face and looks in to her eyes DIRT Halah…there is no way you could’ve possibly known.

Dirt gently removes the bird from her hands and notices more blood on the bottom of her long night gown. DIRT Halah? This isn’t the birds blood. where did you do it at this time? So,

DIRT puts the BIRD on the floor and gets a washrag and rinses it under the faucet. HALAH playfully lifts her feet. Dirt checks her feet to find one large cut on each ankle and pats them each with the washrag. He then goes to the bathroom cabinet to get gauze and wraps each ankle. DIRT I guess you’re done with your arms. (sighs in frustration) You got to stop

this. Next time you might hit a vein and then you’ll have to go the hospital and your dad will find out. Or worse, no one will be here and you’ll bleed to death. Halah smiles at Dirt and leans forward to touch his forehead with her forehead. DIRT I mean it, Halah. I really would like to have one less thing to worry about. Halah kisses Dirt gently on the lips. kisses back. Dirt briefly

DIRT Get dressed, we’re going somewhere in awhile. I just have to go work on a transmission with Mat, I’ll be back soon. It shouldn’t take more than a half an hour, wanna come? Halah nods her head no HALAH Mat despises me.

INT. DIRT AND MAT’S HOUSE. DIRT’S GARAGE. DAY DIRT is now kneeling in front of a toolbox beside an old pick up truck being repaired, he’s staring off with WRENCH in his hand. MAT is underneath the car. MAT I don’t despise her! DIRT jolts back to reality. MAT rolls out from underneath the car and pulls the WRENCH from Dirt’s hand and goes back under. MAT I just think she's holding us back. Matt comes out from under the car to face Dirt.

MAT Hey! They’re opening an Auto shop in Fall City. DIRT (trying to focus on his new surroundings) Fall City? MAT Yeah…I want to get out of this town.

DIRT I’m not going anywhere. Halah’s just getting used to it here. MAT What do you mean? She’s lived here since she was five-years-old. DIRT Exactly. Matt becomes upset. MAT See? That’s what I mean when I say that she’s holding us back. Do you realize that I’ve never had a girlfriend? We are known as the guys who killed our mother! And I didn’t even kill her, you did. We’re ostracized from this small stupid town! No girl will even look at me and (points to himself) I’m a good-looking guy. I like to think that under different circumstances, I’d have my pick of all these girls. Dirt laughs at his brother. DIRT (jokingly encourages) You would, you would. See, you don’t care. MAT You, well…I guess

you got Halah. DIRT Speaking of which, I got to go get her. I’m taking her to go see Dr. Ryan. MAT You are? Really? DIRT Yeah, she wants me to bring her in. Mat laughs and rolls back under the car. MAT Oh man, if it wasn’t for this transmission, I’d so be there. EXT. LIMWRECK PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL. DAY DIRT opens the glass double doors, HALAH walk through And Dirt follows behind. INT. LIMWRECK PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL. WAITING ROOM. DAY A dreary waiting room with nurses and visitors walking around. Televisions are mounted on the walls, with The People’s Court on. HALAH scans the area looking very worried, biting her bottom lip. DIRT walks straight to the counter as Halah continues to look around in confusion. HALAH looks at DIRT concerned. HALAH Dirt? Dirt is speaking to the woman behind the counter. watches in horror as the nurses walk around. HALAH Dirt? Halah

DIRT I brought my girlfriend, HALAH RANE, with me. Dr. Ryan said to bring her in for our session. Secretary seems confused. SECRETARY (uncomfortably smiles) Just one second. Secretary picks up the phone and calls Dr. Ryan SECRETARY Dr. Ryan I have Dirt out here with his guest, Halah Rane… uh…okay. (hangs up phone) We’ll call you both in a minute. DIRT Doesn’t she have to fill out and sign the regulation form? Secretary is uncomfortable but tries to comply and keep her cool. SECRETARY Oh, yes. Secretary hands Dirt a tablet with a form. Dirt takes the tablet and leads Halah to the waiting room. He sits down and begins to fill out the sheet. Halah glances at the application then looks at Dirt HALAH What is that? DIRT Look, we need this. Dr. Ryan’s going to talk to you about me, about us. Please. Halah, just do it this once. HALAH I don’t like it here. I hate hospitals. My mother was in a hospital for 28 hours before they pronounced her dead. Halah is angry and irritated at Dirt.

HALAH Why didn’t you tell me we were coming here? DIRT Please, Halah…please. Dirt quickly scans the form and forges Halah’s signature. He takes it up to the counter and hands it over to the secretary who smiles peculiarly at Dirt. Dirt is a little weirded out but returns the smile and sits in the chair beside Halah. Halah stares at Dirt then turns her head in anger. Dirt is confused and frowns at Halah. Halah suddenly becomes very jealous. HALAH (mumbles) Why don’t you just go ask her out? DIRT (confused) What? Halah faces Dirt in anger. HALAH Well, she’s right there. All dressed in white. Why don’t you just go do it and get it over with! Dirt is shocked and offended. He tries to calm Halah down. DIRT I wasn’t doing anything! HALAH Go on Dirt, go ask her right here and now! The people in the waiting area and behind the front desk stare in shock as the two yell at each other. Dirt aware of the scene they are causing tries to lower his voice though he is clearly frustrated.

DIRT (low but firm tone) Halah, you don’t know what you’re talking about. NURSE comes out from the back room. NURSE Halah Rane? Halah continues to yell at Dirt. Dirt acknowledges the nurse and covers Halah’s mouth with his hand. DIRT They’re calling us now, stop. Dirt grabs Halah’s hand and walks her to the nurse. Halah pulls away from Dirt and walks towards the nurse rolling her eyes in anger at the secretary as she passes by. Though, the secretary does not notice. NURSE (addresses Dirt) Sorry Dirt, Dr. Ryan just wants to see Halah right now. She’ll call you when she’s done. (looks down at clipboard) DIRT Dr. Ryan said to be right back with Halah so she can join our session. Are you sure I can’t go in with her? NURSE (face down and writing on her clip board) Sorry Dirt, Dr. Ryan’s rules. Halah suddenly becomes fearful like a child and looks at Dirt helplessly. Dirt? HALAH I don’t want to go in there alone.

DIRT Halah, it’s okay, I’ll be in there in a little bit.

Halah bites her lower lip, puts her head down and walks through the door. Dirt sits in the waiting room. He slouches down resting his chin on his fist and looks at the Television set on the wall. INT. LIMWRECK HOSPITAL. DR. RYAN’S OFFICE ON THE WAITING ROOM TELEVISION. DAY. Suddenly, Halah and Dr.Ryan’s session is on the Television screen. Halah sits in a chair in Dr.Ryan’s office and Dr Ryan sits across from her. INT. LIMWRECK HOSPITAL. WAITING ROOM. DAY. DIRT stares at the TELEVISION INT. LIMWRECK HOSPITAL. DR. RYAN’S OFFICE ON THE WAITING ROOM TELEVISION. DAY. DR.RYAN Hello, Halah. I’m Anna Ryan. finally meet you. Nice to

Halah rubs her arm with her hand and politely grins.

DR.RYAN I have been counseling Dirt and Mat for the past 6 months, as I am sure you already know. I have come to know them quite well and the other person frequently mentioned other than their mother, is you. Mat seems to love and hate you as a sister. As for Dirt, it is pretty clear that you are his world. INT. LIMWRECK HOSPITAL. WAITING ROOM. DAY. Dirt is getting drowsy, Dirt sits up and shakes his head and looks at his watch. He then begins to look around and see the two nurses whispering about him. His face shows he automatically believes they are

plotting against him in some kind of plan to kill Halah. He begins to quietly panic as he becomes restless trying to fight it. INT. LIMWRECK HOSPITAL. DR. RYAN’S OFFICE ON THE WAITING ROOM TELEVISION. DAY. Meanwhile, back on the television set. HALAH Can I ask you something? DR.RYAN Sure. HALAH What do you want with me? DR.RYAN Good question. See, I’m trying to help everyone here and the only way I could help anyone is to find the core of each problem. Aside from their mother’s constant physical and emotional abuse, Carol seems to be a definite cause for Dirt and Mat’s trauma. [Pauses] See, Mat’s mental health is fine. He is a little anxious sometimes, however, we’re working on that. The only thing that Mat really worries about is Dirt. And, other than Dirt’s schizophrenia, the only thing Dirt ever worries about is you…so, you are also a core. HALAH (smiles in discomfort) I am? INT. LIMWRECK HOSPITAL. WAITING ROOM. DAY. Dirt is staring at the closed door of Dr. Ryan‘s office. He becomes impatient and paranoid. Dirt gets up and approaches the secretary. DIRT Can I go in now?

SECRETARY I’m sorry Dirt. You’re just going to have to wait until the nurse calls you. Frustrated, Dirt sits back in his chair. He begins to bite his fingernails and breaks a sweat. He hears Dr. Ryan’s voice from the TELEVISION and looks up at it. INT. LIMWRECK HOSPITAL. DR. RYAN’S OFFICE ON THE WAITING ROOM TELEVISION. DAY. DR.RYAN Have you ever considered spending time apart from Dirt? INT. LIMWRECK HOSPITAL. WAITING ROOM. DAY. A male nurse passes by Dirt rolling a cart with surgical equipment. Dirt stares at the cart that Holds syringes and a large surgical knife resembling a Butcher knife. He sits up in his chair and looks up at the television. It is there where he sees his mother walking towards Halah with a knife. Dirt quickly scans the room for the man with the cart. He sees the man roll the cart into Dr.Ryan’s office. Dirt runs to the door before it closes and goes inside. The secretary at the front desk watches Dirt. Secretary stands up and yells SECRETARY Dirt! Security?! Secretary picks up the phone to dial security. INT. LIMWRECK HOSPITAL. DR. RYAN’S OFFICE. DAY A flabbergasted Dirt runs into Dr. Ryan’s office, Dirt finds Dr. Ryan filing papers at her cabinet. The security guards have already been called and the first security guard rushes through the door. SECURITY GUARD #1 Dr. Ryan, is everything okay here? The second security guard stands behind the first

security guard and has his eyes on Dirt. Dr. Ryan casually closes the cabinet drawer and faces the security guards. DR.RYAN Yes, everything is fine, gentleman. The security guards slowly leave the office. Dirt frantically scans the room. DIRT Where is she? Dr. Ryan puts her head down to read the files in her hand. DR.RYAN Oh. She left. Dirt, have you been taking the new medication I prescribed you? Dirt is confused and frustrated DIRT Where did she go? Dr. Ryan does not make eye contact with Dirt she continue to thumb through the files. DR.RYAN She said she was going home. She went out the back way. Now, have you been taking the new medication? DIRT No. Dirt quickly runs out the back way. frustration. DR.RYAN Why not? INT. BACK ALLEY OF LIMWRECK HOSPITAL. DAY Dr. Ryan sighs in

DIRT Halah! DIRT V/O I think I spent most of my life calling that name…yelling that name…crying out that name… Dirt runs up the street while yelling for Halah. EXT. HALAH’S HOUSE. FRONT YARD. DAY. A panting Dirt arrives at Halah’s house and cuts across The front yard. INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. FRONT PORCH. DAY Dirt arrives at the FRONT PORCH and opens the unlocked Front door. INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. ENTRY WAY. DAY Dirt closes the front door and immediately locks it. INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. STAIRCASE. DAY. Dirt runs upstairs. INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. HALAH’S BEDROOM. DAY Dirt opens Halah’s bedroom door to find her crouched in the corner in her nightgown. He stares at Halah with pity and relief. Halah looks up at Dirt with tears running down her cheek. She is bleeding through the hem of her nightgown while rocking herself back and forth. Dirt walks to her cautiously and kneels down beside her.

DIRT She didn’t mean it to sound like that, Halah. Halah suddenly around Dirt. unlocks herself and throws her arms

HALAH Consider spending time apart from you… from you? She doesn’t realize you’re all I have. She wants me to be alone. Dirt is now rubbing Halah’s back while gently rocking her back and forth. DIRT She doesn’t want that. She wants to see how we’d live apart from each other for a little while. She’s trying to get me better, that’s all. Halah removes her hands from Dirt and stands up. The blood drips from her legs onto the carpet as she looks at him in disgust. Dirt glances at the nightstand and sees the razor blade. He stares at the blood dropping onto the carpet. Halah! DIRT It’s not even noon yet!

Dirt is about to rush to his feet only Halah holds him down with her hand. She stares at him in suspicion. HALAH Do you want to spend time apart from me? Looks up at her and frowns DIRT No, of course not. HALAH Then why are you defending her! you take me there! Why did

Dirt stands up and motions with his hands to calm down. Tears run down Halah’s cheek. HALAH You wanted her to tell me to spend time apart from you… you want me gone! DIRT Halah, you’re becoming hysterical. HALAH

You said, “We need this.” What is this we need? It’s for us to be apart. Is that what you want? DIRT No. Can I speak? HALAH If that’s what you want, you don’t have to get some doctor to tell me! because I would be happy to just leap off my…. Dirt grabs her from behind and puts his hand over her mouth. DIRT Now, first of all… I thought we were going in there together. I thought it would be like couple therapy and we would talk about me being sick. Halah is now breathing heavily trying to break away from Dirt. DIRT Second of all, was I not here at your house at three in the morning and then back six hours later? Have I not always come to you? I can’t leave you alone, Halah. Now stop this. Dirt takes his hand off Halah’s mouth and lets her loose. Halah faces Dirt and gives him a long kiss on the lips. Mat then enters the scene by knocking on Halah’s bedroom door. He cracks the door open and looks at his brother, Dirt. MAT Dirt? Halah releases herself from Dirt and sits on the bed. DIRT Come in. Mat opens the door looking a little bit uncomfortable.

MAT Hey dude, it’s time to get home. We got a carburetor to work on and I promised it’d be done by tomorrow. DIRT Okay, hold on. Dirt walks over to the corner of the room where a washrag and some gauze lays there. He then walks back to Halah and kneels down before her. DIRT Where? Halah lifts her calves to disclose a 4-inch long gash. Dirt pats Halah’s cut with the washrag and wraps her calf in gauze. Silently watching Dirt, Mat feels a bit uncomfortable. Halah looks at Mat HALAH How did you get in here? An uncomfortable Mat ignores Halah, not even acknowledging her and continues to watch in silence. DIRT Yeah, how did you get in? I locked the front door when I got here. MAT You obviously didn’t lock it right. [Frustrated] Look, when will you be home? I want to get it over with Dirt, especially before it gets dark. DIRT Yeah, we’ll be there in a bit. have to wait for us. You don’t

MAT Okay well, I’m making spaghetti so I’ll see you there… both of you. Halah frown in confusion at Mat as he exits the room.

HALAH (staring at the door) What a strange boy. INT. DIRT & MAT’S HOUSE. KITCHEN. TWILIGHT. Halah and Mat sit at the boys kitchen table. Dirt is in front of the stove serving himself spaghetti. Halah has a plate of spaghetti in front of her and is laughing hysterically at Mat’s body tight black shirt. MAT Look Hell, [refers to Halah as “Hell”] these are in style. What do you know about fashion? The only icons you have on your shirts are mustard stains. Okay Hell! Mat continues to eat his spaghetti. restrain her giggling but cannot. Halah tries to

HALAH My name is “Hell” just as much as your name is Matthew. Halah bursts out in laughter MAT My name is Matthew but people call me Mat for short, so what? Halah laughs uncontrollably HALAH Yeah, right! Your name is Mat. M-A-T Mat. [Points her finger at Dirt] Dirt. [Now points her finger at Mat] Mat. Dirt mat! I know exactly what your mother was up to. Looks at Dirt in disbelief MAT You told her? Dirt sits on the chair opposite Halah. Looks at Mat and shrugs his shoulders while eating spaghetti.

HALAH He tells me everything. MAT If you ask me, I’m not the one who got the raw end of the deal. HALAH I think you did. MAT No Hell! What about your boyfriend’s name? DIRT! HALAH So what? Dirt is a form of soil that is needed to help the growth of plant life. And plant life produces oxygen that without, we could not live. Mat is just something people wipe their shoes on and replace every few months. Dirt watches the two bicker. Suddenly, in the backyard behind Mat and Halah, Dirt sees a woman figure walk by. Frightened, Dirt quietly steps outside the back door to investigate. Halah watches Dirt exit the kitchen. HALAH (looks at Mat) Where is he going? INT. DIRT & MAT’S BACKYARD. TWILIGHT. The woman who’s back you can only see walks casually across the weeded backyard. Dirt follows the woman in suspicion. DIRT Excuse me? The woman does not answer.

INT. DIRT & MAT’S SIDEYARD. TWILIGHT. Dirt begins to panic when he see her turning the corner of the house and approaching the side door. DIRT Lady? Halah runs out the side door looking at Dirt. The woman casually approaches Halah and begins to stab Halah several times in the stomach and walk off. Dirt rushes to Halah’s side and the woman’s face is never revealed. Halah, who was standing, begins to fall to the floor as Dirt catches her in mid air. INT. DIRT & MAT’S HOUSE. BEDROOM. NIGHT. Dirt pops out of bed once again and the alarm clock reads 7:30 pm. Dirt begins to put on his shoes when he realizes, there is a light coming from the back yard. INT. DIRT & MAT’S HOUSE. BACK YARD. NIGHT. Mat rolls out from underneath the car and is holding a light hook. He appears to be very frustrated. Dirt walks toward him, putting on his jacket. MAT Thanks for the help, Dirt. asleep for six hours. You’ve been

DIRT I’ll do the rest…take a break. MAT There’s some spaghetti on the kitchen stove. I know you haven’t eaten anything all day. Dirt remembers Halah

Um… leave it.

DIRT I’ll be right back.

Dirt runs out the backyard. MAT You don’t even know what

Yeah, right. that means!

INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. BACK PORCH. NIGHT. DIRT unlocks the back door with the key INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. HALLWAY. NIGHT. Outside of Halah’s bedroom door DIRT stand in a dark hallway and turns the knob slowly and realizes that the door to Halah’s bedroom is locked. INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. BEDROOM. NIGHT. Halah, sits Indian style on her bed in her moonlit bedroom, hearing Dirt’s attempt to come in, she walks over slowly to open the door puffy eyed and distraught. Dirt quickly walks inside. DIRT Why did you lock the door? Halah walks over her bed. and mumbles. She sits down Indian style

HALAH I just thought I should. I never did because my mother always told me not to. She was always scared there would be a fire or something and the door wouldn’t open. Dirt hangs his head at the mention of Halah’s mother. DIRT She was a good woman. Halah stares straight ahead.

HALAH Yeah, she was.

DIRT (remains standing near the door and smirks) my mother used to tell us to lock the door, because, if there was a fire we would get stuck and burn to death. Halah suddenly begins to cry. HALAH Damn Billy Drags! They never let him leave the bar drunk. For the twenty years he’s been going to that bar, he’s never left drunk. And the twenty years my mom’s been working at the hospital; they never let her go home early. Then that one night she got off early, Billy Drags snuck out of the bar during a fight. [Runs her fingers through her hair then pulls it as hard as she can] If it weren’t for him, both of our mothers would still be alive. DIRT I don’t know if that’s a good thing in my case. HALAH I don’t care! I rather have both of them here then neither one. Dirt stares to the right. INT. LIMWRECK HOSPITAL. DR. RYAN’S OFFICE. DAY. Suddenly Dirt is sitting across from Dr.Ryan, in her office.

DR.RYAN Would you rather have them both back then neither? Dirt sits up and organizes his thoughts. DIRT Um…of course, for Halah.

DR.RYAN Do you believe your mother truly hated you? DIRT Oh… I knew she did. DR.RYAN How is that? DIRT She reminded us constantly. how she gave us our names. Telling us

INT. DIRT & MAT’S HOUSE. BEDROOM. NIGHT (FLASHBACK) CAROL ranting in the Dirt and Mat’s bedroom as she cuts apart the boys clothes with scissors. CAROL The nurses told me, [mimics nurse] “Would you please consider naming your son something else?” I said, no! That’s just what he is, Dirt! INT. LIMWRECK HOSPITAL. DR. RYAN’S OFFICE. DAY. Back in Dr.Ryan’s office. DR.RYAN Aside from the schizophrenia, why do you think she hated you? DIRT I don’t think her hatred towards us had anything to do with her schizophrenia…

that just brought on more violence. She used to tell us that she could’ve been so much more. She was a very gullible woman. She believed that these men that she would meet at Bars, would take care of her. When the inevitable happened, she would take it out on us. DR.RYAN Did she ever show you any affection?

DIRT I’m sure she did, but it was too long ago for us to remember. I never knew what affection was until Halah’s family moved next door to us. [Smiles] DR.RYAN [Smiles] how old were you two when Halah moved next door? DIRT I was seven, she was five. DR.RYAN Ah, she was the same age as Mat. DIRT (smiles) Yeah. Alora, Halah’s mom, she would invite Mat and me over when my mom was working. She would make us dinner, play games and read to us. Everything she did with Halah she did with us. My mother hated them. INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. FRONTYARD. DAY. (FLASHBACK) Young Halah and her mother Alora sit in their simple front yard. Young Halah picks a flower from the garden and attempts to give it to her mother. Alora gives a heartwarming smile to young Halah. Alora looks next door.

INT. DIRT & MAT’S HOUSE. FRONTYARD. DAY. (FLASHBACK) Carol is tending to her garden next door, she is pulling weeds and sweating profusely. INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. FRONTYARD. DAY. (FLASHBACK) Alora whispers for Halah to give the flower to Carol. INT. DIRT & MAT’S HOUSE. FRONTYARD. DAY. (FLASHBACK) Young Halah walks over and gives the flower to Carol. Appalled, Carol takes the flower, rips it into tiny pieces and throws it on the ground. INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. FRONTYARD. DAY. (FLASHBACK) Frightened, Young Halah runs to her mother. Alora stares at Carol in disbelief as she comforts her daughter. INT. LIMWRECK HOSPITAL. DR. RYAN’S OFFICE. DAY. Back in Dr.Ryan’s office. DR.RYAN Is this why your mother moved? DIRT Yeah. Alora never knew how bad Mat and me had it at home, until one day I dropped juice on my shirt. Once she saw the bruises, she called the cops. Mom blamed it on her latest ex-boyfriend. She said he was abusing us and once she found out, she kicked him out. The guy was never conscious to abuse us. She even gave them his name, address, and license plate. DR.RYAN Wow. I would think she would want the authorities to take you two. DIRT Yeah, but she wasn’t about to get in trouble for it. Besides she got her

vengeance on an old boyfriend who stole all her jewelry. She knew what she was doing. DR.RYAN So, I guess she really didn’t care for Alora or Halah after that. DIRT Well, she never did. But now, she hated them so, we moved. It was only about a mile away but we still saw each other as much. Just took more effort.

DR.RYAN Why do you believe your mother is going to kill Halah? Why not you? Why Halah? You’re the one that killed her. DIRT Too easy. My mother knows I could care less what happens to me. She knows I would go insane without Halah. She always made a point to make my life as miserable as possible. DR.RYAN I can see Halah’s masochism is still continuing. DIRT How? DR.RYAN The scars on her arms. Well, those are old. legs. DIRT She’s now at her

DR.RYAN I see great improvement in you. I’ve had your total attention today; no distractions. Any reason why you are so

at ease today? DIRT Well, I’ve never been in here on a Tuesday. Halah’s dad is home from work on Tuesdays. I don’t have to worry about her as long as she’s with him. DR.RYAN Interesting. Dr. Ryan pulls out a bottle of prescription pills. DR.RYAN Dirt, these are new. I told you antipsychotics have many side effects and I want to try some of these. Now, this medication can take up to 90 days to kick in so please, I urge you start today. Dirt walks home from the hospital. pleased with himself. He looks rather

INT. DIRT & MAT’S HOUSE. DRIVEWAY. DAY. Dirt walks up the driveway. Mat is there collecting money from a man. In the driver’s seat with the engine running DIRT V.O. Tuesdays. Tuesdays were like a day off from the fear. As long as Halah was at home with her dad, nothing could happen to her. There was no rush to get to her. JAKE Thanks a lot.

Sounds good, Mat. later. No problem.

See you

MAT Thanks a lot, man.

Jake in the car drives away. Dirt walks up to Mat. Mat walks away from him clearly irritated.

INT. DIRT & MAT’S HOUSE. BACKYARD. DAY. Mat walks into the backyard, Dirt follows. DIRT You finished already? MAT (back towards Dirt) I told you I needed it done by this morning. I got another one in the backyard. You do it. DIRT I will. MAT (stops and faces Dirt angrily) Now, Dirt! Halah casually comes out from around the corner of the house in the backyard. DIRT Why didn’t you tell me Halah was here? Dirt passes by Mat and goes to Halah. looks behind his shoulder. MAT I didn’t see her. Mat walks inside of the house using the side door. Dirt goes to Halah. DIRT What are you doing here? Why aren’t you home? I just got here. Your…mom? HALAH HALAH My mom dropped me off. DIRT Mat frowns and

My dad I mean. DIRT Is something wrong? Halah begins to get teary eyed HALAH You think we would cling on to each other since we both lost her. I see him hurting… but I can’t even speak to him. It’s like we needed her for communication. She would always ask him for what ever I needed. Dirt grabs Halah’s hand Let’s go inside. medication. DIRT I have to take my

HALAH I thought you weren’t going to take it anymore? DIRT These are different. They’re new. Dr. Ryan has a lot a faith in them. Halah looks disappointed and puts her head down. HALAH Oh. DIRT What is it? You were always against me taking my medication. Why? Don’t you want me to get better? Halah looks into Dirt’s eyes. HALAH No. Dirt frowns in disbelief. Halah stares at the ground.

HALAH I’m scared you’ll take these pills… and they’ll make you normal [pause] and you’ll leave me. Dirt raises Halah’s head and looks her in the eyes. DIRT How can you say that? I love you more than anything. HALAH (teary eyed) Because you’re sick! Mat enters the backyard. Dirt? MAT Tell her to leave!

Dirt gestures for Mat to hold on then turns to face Halah. DIRT I don’t believe that! I’ve loved you since we were kids. Mat is very angry Dirt! MAT Get rid of her and finish the car! Halah stares at Dirt in

Dirt ignores his brother. despair.

HALAH (quickly wipes her tears with her hand) Let me see the bottle. Dirt takes the small bottle and gives it to Halah. Mat furiously runs to Dirt and accidentally pushes Halah to the floor with his body. The bottle of pills falls from Halah’s hands and on to the ground. INT. DIRT & MAT’S HOUSE. KITCHEN. NIGHT Dirt is suddenly in his quiet and dim kitchen. It is

dark outside. He is seated in front of the kitchen table that has a glass of water on it. Dirt looks at his right hand that carries his bottle of pills. He sets the pills on the kitchen table and stares at them. Finally, he takes a few and gulps them down with water. Mat passes by with an ice pack on his face. DIRT Hey! What happened to you? did that to you? (upset) Who

Mat is trying to hide that he is upset MAT You. Don’t worry about it; you accidentally pushed me into the water heater. DIRT (panics) I did? Yeah, no big deal. finish that car? Yeah. I am, now. MAT Are you going to DIRT INT. DIRT & MAT’S HOUSE. BACKYARD. NIGHT. Dirt is dressed in his auto wear. the car. INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. BEDROOM. NIGHT. Dirt is suddenly in Halah’s bedroom. He has his head on Halah’s lap looking up at her. Halah is laughing. HALAH Do you remember when I dressed up for Halloween at school? I was a cheerleader. INT. LIMWRECK HIGH SCHOOL. BLEACHERS. DAY. (FLASHBACK) He rolls underneath

Basic High School bleachers. You can see it’s after school, the cheerleaders are practicing on the field directly in front of the bleechers. A hyper Halah is being really loud running up and down the bleachers with her black pompoms. She is wearing a black cheer leading uniform with red trim and the letters S.L.U.T. spelled across her chest Her hair is in pigtails and she is wearing dark make-up. DIRT V.O. Yeah, and you went to where all the cheerleaders hung out. Halah stands near the cheerleader group. She has black pompoms and begins to march and spell S.L.U.T with her body. HALAH Give me an S! Give me an L! Give me a U! Give me a T! What does that make you?! Halah points to the cheerleader’s crowd. HALAH Slut! Slut! Yeah!

Halah begins to jump up and down. Dirt smiles as he watches her. The cheerleaders stare at Halah and mumble amongst themselves. The crowd begins to disperse. Halah turns to face Dirt. HALAH Dirt! Dirt! Dirt

D!

I! R!

T!

Halah jumps up and down. Dirt stares at Halah mesmerized as she dances for him. INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. BEDROOM. NIGHT. Back in Halah’s bedroom. Dirt sits up and faces Halah. Halah stares at him and smiles.

HALAH Would you say that I had a good spirit back then? Dirt holds Halah’s face DIRT You still do. Dirt gently kisses Halah DIRT I want you to come with me tomorrow. Why? HALAH Where are you going? DIRT To go see Dr. Ryan. Halah stands up and walks towards the window. HALAH Okay, if you want me to. Dirt walks over to Halah and puts his arms around her from behind. Halah stares out the window.

DIRT I really think she can help you [pause] you know, to stop cutting yourself. You can talk about your mom to her. She’s a professional, she can help you. HALAH You want me to see her alone? DIRT Yeah, if you don’t mind. I will. HALAH If, you want me to.

Dirt rests his head on Halah’s head and closes his eyes. DIRT I would love you too. HALAH Do you think I can be the person that I once was? You know, before my mother died? INT. LIMWRECK HOSPITAL. DR. RYAN’S OFFICE. DAY. Dr. Ryan is seated directly across from Dirt. Dirt is sleeping and Mat sits beside Dirt. Dr Ryan is staring at Dirt. DR. RYAN Dirt? Dirt? Mat moves his chair closer beside Dirt. MAT Yo, Dirt! Dirt wakes up suddenly. Doc, are you narcolepsy? suddenly and this all the MAT sure he doesn’t have He always falls asleep anywhere. I mean he does time.

DR. RYAN Maybe we’ll check that out. you all right? Dirt sits up. DIRT Yeah.

Dirt?

Are

DR. RYAN Have you been taking your medication?

MAT Yeah, I’ve made sure of that. DR. RYAN Good. DIRT Is Halah here? Mat rolls his eyes in frustration. MAT Oh, God! DR. RYAN Why would Halah be here? DIRT She said she would come to talk to you today. DR. RYAN Dirt, you know today is the “brotherly session”. Turns her attention to Mat. DR. RYAN What’s wrong, Mat? Mat runs his fingers through his hair in frustration. MAT That name just irks me. Dirt turns to Mat. He is unaware that his brother feels this way towards Halah. MAT Don’t look at me like that! DR. RYAN Is it perhaps because you feel he cares more for Halah than you?

MAT I know he cares more for her than me! That’s not the issue.. Dirt becomes defensive and interrupts. DIRT You’re not in danger, she is! that I care more for her… Mat is agitated. MAT Oh God, she is not in danger! help me! Somebody It’s not

DR. RYAN Dirt, I have a question.(begins with caution) You once told me that your mother would want to avenge her death by hurting or killing someone you love. Why not Mat? Caught off guard, Dirt begins to rethink his perspective. However, in the process he becomes delusional and sees his mother laughing at him. Dirt covers his ears and bangs his head on the wall. Dr. Ryan quickly approaches Dirt. DR RYAN Its okay, Dirt. Dr. Ryan looks at Mat. DR. RYAN Go get the nurse and tell her to bring a sedative, please. MAT (panicky) Ok. Mat quickly exits the office. Dr.Ryan puts her hand on Dirt’s back and tries to comfort him. DR. RYAN It’s ok, try to take deep breaths. Are you feeling

dizzy? Dirt begins to sees blurry. He looks up at Dr. Ryan, but sees a blurry image of his mother. Panicked, he attacks Dr.Ryan by grabbing a hold of her throat. DR. RYAN (Frightened) Dirt no! He begins to strangle Dr. Ryan pushing her body against the wall. DIRT (staring into Dr. Ryan‘s eyes) I knew you weren’t gone. DR. RYAN (looks at Dirt and tries to speak while trying to remove Dirt‘s hand from her throat) I’m.. not.. Your.. Mother.. Two Security Guards rush in the office. They tear Dirt off of Dr. Ryan but Dirt struggles still trying to attack Dr. Ryan. DIRT (resisting) NO! Mat runs in just as the security guards get Dirt under control and take him away. A crowd of nurses then rush in to tend to Dr.Ryan’s injuries. A third security guard rushes in with a gurney and the three security guards strap Dirt to the gurney. A nurse enters the room with a large needle and she injects sedatives into Dirt’s arm. Still struggling, Dirt begins to get drowsy.

INT. LIMWRECK HOSPITAL. HALLWAY. DAY. Outside A hospital room. Mat paces back in forth. MAT (sighs)

Mat sits on the floor across from the closed hospital room door, he then leans his head back on the wall and closes his eyes. Dr. Ryan enters with a brace around her neck she discreetly sits beside Mat, adjusting her skirt. MAT (opens his eyes and stares straight ahead) After our mother died, I thought things would get better. I knew it would be hard, but I thought, “Good, the therapist that the judge assigned us will really help.” (turns his head to face Dr. Ryan) What have you done? He’s gotten worse every day! DR. RYAN Look, I can’t make him take his medication. I have tried to help you as much as I can, but he needs to take his medication. I can’t baby-sit you two. Mat is incomprehensible. MAT He said you saw Halah? You had a session with her? DR. RYAN I didn’t. Nurse approaches Dr. Ryan.

NURSE Sorry to interrupt you doctor, but Dirt is awake and stable. He asked to see his brother.

INT. LIMWRECK HOSPITAL. HOSPITAL ROOM. DAY. Mat enters into Dirt‘s small and gloomy looking hospital room. Dirt looks terrified.

DIRT (anxious) What happened? MAT You attacked Dr. Ryan. Dirt holds his head in disbelief DIRT Aw man, is she okay? MAT Yeah, she’s fine. She just has a sore neck. Dr. Ryan wants you to stay here for a while. If everything goes well, you should be able to come home in three months. DIRT What! Three months? MAT Yeah. Look, you’re under restriction so you have no choice. Dirt sits up and frowns at his I.V. DIRT Okay, I won’t argue. But you have to promise me something. MAT What? DIRT You have to keep an eye on Halah. sure she’s okay. MAT Okay. Make

DIRT No, I mean now. Go see if she is okay now and until I’m out. But go now!

Mat sighs in frustration MAT Okay, I’m going. Mat walks out of the room. Dirt stares at his I.V. when Dr. Ryan walks in the room. DR. RYAN Hello, Dirt. Dirt looks at Dr. Ryan and is shocked. DIRT I did that? Dr. Ryan smirks. DIRT I’m so sorry! I… Dr. Ryan gestures for Dirt to be silent. DR. RYAN I should have seen it coming. DIRT There’s still no excuse. I really am sorry. Dirt is painfully confused. DIRT I don’t remember. DR. RYAN That is precisely why I want to keep you here, Dirt. Your schizophrenia is out of control. I simply don’t trust it in society. Dirt, the medication will be given to you daily and you will be under restriction. Dr Ryan scratches her head and not noticing, a bobby pin falls from her hair to the floor. DR. RYAN

Meaning, you will only be allowed one visitor per week for the first two weeks. You cannot step outside of this ward. Dirt quickly glances at the pin and looks back at Dr. Ryan. INT. LIMWRECK HOSPITAL. PSYCHIATRIC WARD. DAY. Dirt is now in a room with many couches and a television he, like the rest of the patients in the ward is wearing white scrubs that have stamped in black ink on the front top half LIMWRECK PSYCHIATRIC WARD. There are several other patients and a few nurses there. The sun shines through the windows. DIRT V.O. Two months went by and I was feeling great. Halah and Mat took turns visiting me everyday. I had an hour session each day with Dr. Ryan. Even though I still didn’t talk to anybody, I felt more sociable. The paranoia and nightmares were decreasing. I felt this euphoric feeling every morning… I was starting taste what it feel like to be normal. A peaceful looking Dirt stares out the locked barred window. He is sitting on a chair. Halah suddenly appears behind him. HALAH Dirt? Feeling her presence, Dirt spins his chair around to face Halah. She stands there, smiling at Dirt. Dirt smiles back at her and jumps off of his chair to great Halah with hugs and kisses. After their kiss, Dirt sits back down and pulls up a chair for Halah. Halah sits in the chair across from Dirt. HALAH (fidgety) So, how are you feeling today?

DIRT (can’t seem to stop smiling) Pleasant and rested. I’ve been reading Romeo and Juliet. HALAH Wow. DIRT It was hard, but I got through it. HALAH That’s great. DIRT V.O. Suddenly, there was this quiet discomfort between Halah and me. Her visiting time became less and less. Dirt gestures with his hands to Halah. DIRT Come here. Halah kneels down in front of him. head. HALAH (looks down) You don’t need me anymore. Dirt is in disbelief DIRT I’ve always needed you. Now I have a future to plan for us. I want us to be happy and leave behind our messy pasts. Halah hangs her head. DIRT You should be happy. Dirt lifts Halah‘s face, he looks into her eyes. Tears fall from her eyes. Dirt kisses her

HALAH I am. Halah humors Dirt with a smile. Dirt smiles. DIRT I am too. Halah composes herself and stands up. HALAH I have to go to the bathroom. DIRT Will you be back? HALAH Yeah, I’ll be right back. Halah kisses Dirt and walks out of the room. Dirt watches her, mesmerized. Suddenly, Dirt develops a cramp in his leg. He begins to shake it out and rub it with his hand when he feels that there are scabs on his calves. He begins to examine both calves when a nurse now enters the scene. She stands in front of Dirt with a cup of pills and a cup of water in hand. The nurse hands Dirt his medication and Dirt takes them down with one big giant gulp of water. INT. LIMWRECK HOSPITAL. HOSPITAL ROOM. NIGHT. Dirt lies in his bed and scans through a local newspaper. DIRT V.O. She never did come back. My four weeks were almost up and I hadn’t seen her. Mat assured me she was okay though I no longer had that fear of something happening to her. I missed her bad, but I was sure I would get her back once I was out. He finds himself at the houses for sale section when he comes across a picture of Halah’s house. Shocked, he reads the address to make sure that it’s the same house. After realizing that it is, he quickly slams

the paper down on the bed.

INT. LIMWRECK HOSPITAL. PSYCHIATRIC WARD. MORNING. It is now 5:00am,the following morning, the ward is dark except for a faint light down the hall. Dirt is attempting to unlock the barred window with the bobby pin he retrieved from when Dr. Ryan dropped it. He keeps a look out for guards and nurses while struggling to see, since the moonlight is his only source of light. After a few seconds he unlocks the lock, gently opens the barred cover, unhooks the glass window and climbs out. EXT. HALAH’S HOUSE. FRONTYARD. MORNING. A panting Dirt runs up the front yard of Halah’s house. Dirt is in disbelief at the sight of the house that looks like it’s been abandoned for years. INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. LIVINGROOM. MORNING. Dirt runs through the broken front door into the Living room, it has graffiti on walls, debris on the floor and the some of the windows have been broken. INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. BEDROOM. MORNING. DIRT runs to Halah’s bedroom and finds it completely empty. It looks like it has been abandoned for quite some time now. Dirt looks around the bedroom and finds several unraveled gauze rolls on the floor. INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. FRONT PORCH. MORNING. Out of breath and panicked, Dirt emerges from the front door and puts his head between his knees and grabbing his chest. INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. FRONT YARD. MORNING. Dirt looks up to see Dr.Ryan and Mat are casually standing in the front yard waiting for him.

DR. RYAN The hospital just reported you as an escapee. We knew you would be here. Dirt is panicking and in a state of confusion. DIRT Where’s Halah?

What’s going on?

DR. RYAN How much do you remember about the night you killed your mother? DIRT I‘m not answering you until you answer me. Now where’s Halah? DR. RYAN I need to know what you remember now that you’ve been on the medication. DIRT Where’s Halah? Mat looks on anxious. DR. RYAN It’s important Dirt, please. Take a moment to think about that night. A furious Dirt paces back and forth. DIRT (yells) Where’s Halah! MAT She’s dead. Dirt looks at Mat in disgust then looks at Dr. Ryan. DIRT No… what..how can…I just saw her. Dirt mumbles to himself

It’s true, Dirt.

DR. RYAN She’s dead.

Dirt is distraught, he sits on the steps with his head in his hands and begins to cry DIRT What happened to her? Mat sits beside Dirt and puts his hand on his back. MAT It was the night of Alora’s wake. Halah kept on calling for you to go. Mom wouldn’t let you… DIRT I know that part! MAT V.O. Well, Halah kept calling saying she wasn’t sure she could make it through without you. INT. LIMWRECK MORTRUARY. ENTRY WAY. NIGHT. (FLASHBACK) A devastated Halah calls Dirt on the phone from the mortuary where there are many people dressed in black, consoling one another and whispering about Halah. WOMEN’S VOICE HEARD IN BACKGROUND Poor girl, her and her mother were so close. HALAH Dirt, it’s going to start. You have to be here. I don’t think I can get through this… INT. DIRT‘S HOUSE. DEN. NIGHT. (FLASHBACK) Dirt is on the phone at home whispering to Halah through the receiver. His mother, Carol, is in the kitchen being loud and obnoxious.

DIRT Halah, you will be okay. I will be there. It’s just that she won’t let me go. I’m going to sneak out though; I’ll be late. INT. LIMWRECK MORTRUARY. ENTRY WAY. NIGHT. (FLASHBACK) Halah is crying.

I’ve got the car.

HALAH I’m coming to get you.

Halah hangs up the receiver of the phone. INT. DIRT‘S HOUSE. DEN. NIGHT. (FLASHBACK) Dirt remains on the line whispering. DIRT No! Halah? Halah? Carol stands behind Dirt and mocks him. CAROL Halah! Halah! Dirt ignores his mother, he hangs up the phone and walks away from her. INT. DIRT‘S HOUSE. LIVING ROOM. NIGHT. (FLASHBACK) He enters the living room and sits beside Mat on the couch. Mat has fixated his eyes on the Television. Carol follows him. CAROL I hope you were telling your whore that you aren’t going to the other whore’s funeral. I hope for your health and hers. Carol begins to walk away. Dirt sighs in anxiety. Mat is still completely enveloped by the television. He

mumbles to Dirt. MAT Go out the window. Dirt looks at the window in the living room then glances at the kitchen. INT. DIRT‘S HOUSE. KITCHEN. NIGHT. (FLASHBACK) Carol is eating and watching a small television set. She seems rather entertained. INT. DIRT‘S HOUSE. LIVINGROOM. NIGHT. (FLASHBACK) Dirt decides to creep across the room to the window. Mat keeps an eye out for Carol. Carefully, Dirt slowly lifts the window. Mat becomes distracted by the television and he takes his eyes off Carol. Dirt puts one foot through the window and looks towards the kitchen to keep an eye out for Carol. To his surprise, Carol is standing right next to him. She presses a pistol against his forehead. CAROL Going somewhere? Mat sits up on the couch. Dirt disregards Carol’s threat and slowly begins to put his second leg out the window. Get in here, Dirt! CAROL I mean it.

Carol shoots the pistol towards Mat which sends a bullet through the pillow beside him. Mat jumps in fright and Dirt pauses for a second. INT. DIRT‘S HOUSE. DRIVE WAY. NIGHT. (FLASHBACK) Halah pulls up into the driveway of the house. parks the car and gets out. She

INT. DIRT‘S HOUSE. LIVINGROOM. NIGHT. (FLASHBACK) Dirt hears the car pull up and slowly begins to get

back into the house. CAROL You moron, what did I tell you? not going anywhere. You’re

Carol rests the pistol against her calve. CAROL I don’t know why you want to go to that slut’s funeral anyhow! She…. Desperately aggravated, Dirt clinches his fist to the word Slut. CAROL What, you don’t like that word? slut, slut, slut, slut….

Slut,

Halah is now facing the front door of Dirt’s house. She is about to turn the doorknob when she hears the commotion from inside the house. She pauses to listen.

INT. DIRT‘S HOUSE. LIVINGROOM. NIGHT. (FLASHBACK) CAROL Alora was a slut. She had everyone fooled, but I knew what she was. Halah furiously appears in the living room and runs over to Carol to confront her. HALAH Who do you think you are?! nothing about my mother… Carol grins in pride. INT. DIRT‘S HOUSE. KITCHEN. NIGHT. (FLASHBACK) Carol walks over to the kitchen island where the You know

knives are kept.

Halah follows her. HALAH

You’re just jealous… Carol is offended and turns to face Halah. HALAH The fact that everyone loved her and everyone hates you. The fact that your sons love her and yet hate you. You’re all alone… Dirt steps behind Halah and puts his hands on her shoulders and begins to lightly rub them. Mat watches nervously from afar. HALAH And you’re going to die alone… INT. DIRT‘S HOUSE. DEN. NIGHT. (FLASHBACK) Dirt slowly leads Halah out of the kitchen into the den. Halah pauses right outside the kitchen and begins to regret what she said, and turns around to go back and apologize.

INT. DIRT‘S HOUSE. KITCHEN. NIGHT. (FLASHBACK) Carol, almost in tears, grabs the biggest kitchen knife. INT. DIRT‘S HOUSE. DEN. NIGHT. (FLASHBACK) Carol emerges from the kitchen into the den and begins to brutally stab Halah in the stomach. Halah falls back on Dirt. Horrified, Dirt catches Halah and lays her on the floor. Carol then tries to stab Dirt in the back only Mat tackles her to the floor. This causes Carol to drop the knife on the floor in front of Dirt. Dirt stares at Halah in horror as she looks up at him in tears. Dirt wipes Halah’s tears. DIRT Hold on…you’ll be fine…hold on…

Halah nods her head. Dirt smiles as Halah clinches onto his wrist. He presses his hand on her stab wound in attempt to stop the bleeding. Halah stares into his eyes. Her eyes then close for the last time and Halah takes her final breath. Dirt is terrified and begins to shake her. He grabs her face. DIRT Halah. Halah! Mat pulls Carol’s hands behind her back and stands up with her. Dirt stares at the bloody knife on the floor. He grabs it, stands up and begins to brutally stab Carol in the stomach while Mat holds her. Mat drops Carol on the floor and is completely in shock. INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. FRONT PORCH. MORNING. Back on the porch, Dirt sits on the steps in tears. Mat is beside him and Dr. Ryan is standing near them. MAT That’s what happened that night. The slices on your back made it look like self-defense. So, that’s what I told the cops. They didn’t argue, they knew she was crazy. DIRT The funeral.. INT. LIMWRECK CEMETARY. MORNING. (FLASHBACK) Dirt recalls a large funeral service. INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. FRONT PORCH. MORNING. DIRT It wasn’t mom’s, was it? No, mom was cremated. funeral for her. Mat pauses. MAT MAT We never had a

It was Halah’s funeral. Dr. Ryan sits on the other side of Dirt DR. RYAN Your condition allowed you to keep her alive in your head. As far as the masochism, I didn’t understand it until I saw the abrasions on your arms. The last days of her life, she was weak and masochistic… you continued it. INT. COMBO OF PAST SCENES. Halah lived solely in Dirt’s imagination so when he thought he was spending time with her, other’s saw something a bit different. INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. BEDROOM. NIGHT. (FLASHBACK) Dirt sitting alone in her room. INT. LIMWRECK HOSPITAL. WAITING ROOM. MORNING.(FLASHBACK) Dirt yelling at thin air in the hospital waiting room. INT. HALAH’S HOUSE. BEDROOM. DAY. (FLASHBACK)

Dirt bandaging nothing as Mat talks to him INT. DIRT‘S. BACKYARD. DAY. (FLASHBACK)

Dirt talking to thin air in the backyard. DIRT No. Dirt turns to Dr. Ryan DIRT You had a session with her… An delusion, Dirt. DR RYAN You were seeing her

because you wanted to see her. to keep her alive. Dirt looks at Mat

You wanted

DIRT She was over the house and we all had spaghetti and she was making fun of your name. MAT That happened, but that was years ago. DR. RYAN Halah’s interaction with others is something that did happen. Only it happened before she died. You were just reliving that. Dirt rocks himself back and forth as images of Halah cross his mind. DR. RYAN Do you remember that night now? DIRT Yes. Dirt stands up in anger DIRT What I don’t remember is you two ever telling me! You did nothing but play along. DR. RYAN There were attempts. But you’d become so violent that I thought I would let the medication kick in before I’d tell you. DIRT So, you let me walk around like a joke? We had no choice. MAT I just tried to tell

you a month ago in the backyard and you started to fight me! DIRT I thought it was an accident? MAT You believe what you want to believe. You think I didn’t want to tell you? You have no idea how it feels that you’re more worried over a delusion than your own brother. Dirt stares in guilt at Mat. DR. RYAN These past six months you have been reliving the character of the Halah you last remember. This was the week her mother died, the week she turned masochistic. She was not the same person before her mother died. INT. DIRT‘S HOUSE. DEN. NIGHT. (FLASHBACK) Halah is dying in his arms. She is about to say something only Dirt’s memory is blurred. DIRT She said something to me. I don’t remember, but she said something! That’s when I blacked out. I don’t remember anything after that. Mat is confused MAT I don’t think she did. Dr. Ryan interferes and changes the subject. DR. RYAN You should think of this a page turned; a new era. No more fear or paranoia. You should be relieved, Dirt.

Dirt becomes angry and sarcastic DIRT Oh yeah, I’m jumping for joy. The past year of my life has been a lie [pause] and I should be relieved? Yes! DR. RYAN Relieved that the lie is over. MAT It’s time to leave this

It’s time, Dirt. town.

DR. RYAN I think you should listen to your brother, Dirt. DIRT Where is she buried? MAT Limwreck Cemetery, beside her mother. DIRT What happened to her dad?

MAT No one knows. He split. It was too much losing his wife and his daughter in the same week. [Pause] We need to leave too. Start all over. I won‘t leave without you. INT. LIMWRECK CEMETARY. HALAH’S GRAVE SITE. DAY. DIRT stands in front of HALAH’S GRAVE which is next to ALORA‘S GRAVE. Dirt stares at the dusty tombstone and attempts to clean it with his jacket. EXT. THE BEACH. DAY. Dirt stands on a beach looking over the ocean. It looks like it might rain. Nonetheless, Dirt stares

out at the ocean with a blank face. Mat shows up at the beach in search for Dirt. He spots him and is about to call his name only he suddenly stops and stares at his brother. Dirt remembers a session with Dr. Ryan. DR. RYAN V.O. The mind is the most powerful instrument in our body. The greatest mind said that if we have faith the size of a mustard grain, we can move mountains. Brainpower. It is believing in something so strongly, that it is real. INT. DIRT‘S HOUSE. DEN. NIGHT. (FLASHBACK) Dirt suddenly remembers what Halah said to him as she was dying. HALAH (squeezes Dirt’s wrist and whispers) Keep me alive. INT. THE BEACH. DAY. Dirt suddenly gasps with relief. He begins to smirk and takes out his bottle of prescription pills. He throws them into the ocean. Dirt smiles as he watches the pills float away. Mat watches his brother in confusion. Dirt turns around to find Halah standing in front of him. Mat realizes that his brother is looking into thin air again. This makes Mat sigh in frustration yet smile in acceptance. Halah continues the last conversation that they had in the bedroom. HALAH I think I can, you know be the person that I once was. Dirt smiles DIRT

I think you already are. CUT TO BLACK

The End

Copyright 2001 Dianna Rodriguez -- All Rights Reserved