"THE WOODSMAN" Based on the play by Steven Fechter Written By Steven Fechter And Nicole Kassell Winner 1st Prize 2001 Slamdance Screenplay Competition JULY 30, 2002 BEGIN TITLES - OPENING SEQUENCE MONTAGE Over black we HEAR the rhythmic sound of machinery. This sound will continue throughout the title sequence as other sounds fade in and out. We move forward and back in time. EXT. APARTMENT - DAY A sparrow flutters in birdseed on a window sill. More birds crowd a bird feeder that hangs above. EXT. SCHOOL PLAYGROUND - DAY A lone child swings lazily on a swing. Other children tear about in a wild game of chase. INT. LUMBERYARD WAREHOUSE - DAY CLOSE on a piece of wood as it is fed through a wood chipper. A man finishes feeding the log into the chipper. He pauses to wipe the sweat and grime from his face. He is WALTER, early forties, features handsome but hardened by time. INT. BUS - EARLY MORNING Walter is silhouetted by the early morning light. He holds a duffel bag in his lap and watches out the bus window. The sun is just rising over the horizon, streaks of pink and purple graze the frosted ground. Wilderness gives way to frozen farmland. INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - DAY Walter stands at a counter, a female officer fingerprints each finger. EXT. LUMBERYARD - DAY Walter and some other men drop the side of the flatbed truck and trees crash to the ground. EXT. BUS STOP - DAY The bus pulls away, revealing Walter standing alone on the sidewalk of a dilapidated neighborhood. He holds his duffle bag. INT. WAREHOUSE - DUSK The 5 o'clock whistle BLOWS. Workers hustle to get their coats and punch out. Walter stands in line, keeping to himself. As his turn arrives to punch out he receives a rough knock by two guys play-fighting behind him. Walter doesn't react, punches out, and exits the door. Vicki, a tough-looking but striking woman, stands in line a little further back watching. EXT./INT. APARTMENT - DAY A superintendent opens the door to an apartment, then hands Walter the keys. Her gaze is cold. Walter closes the door and turns around. He stands in the middle of a prefab/pre-furnished kitchen, living room area. Light works its way through the dilapidated blinds. INT. LUMBERYARD OFFICE - DAY Walter shakes the boss's hand -- BOB, early thirties, strapping and trim, is the manager of the business. MARY-KAY, the secretary, looks up from her typing and takes Walter in. Bob introduces them. She is in her early forties. Walter follows Bob from the office, Mary-Kay watches as they leave. INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT There is a flash as a camera snaps a photo. Walter is captured in a photograph, standing against a babyblue background. INT. WALTER'S APARTMENT - DAY Walter lifts the blinds. The birds flutter away. CUT TO: Walter stands under the shower. CUT TO: Walter, hair wet and clean shaven, tosses back some pills. EXT. WAREHOUSE - DUSK Tires SCREECH as cars tear out of the driveway. Walter stands at a bus stop across the street. As Vicki walks across the lot, a car pulls up next to her and men catcall and whistle out the window. Vicki flicks them off. The men burst into hysterics and peal out of the lot. She gets in her Jeep and leaves, tearing by the bus stop. Walter looks after her then turns his collar up against the chill. It is late winter. The trees are bare -- black silhouettes against the darkening sky. Walter turns towards the shelter for protection from the wind. Filling the kiosk, a clothing advertisement displays a young girl striking a seductive pose. INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - DAY CLOSE on a police file. A mug shot reveals Walter, many years younger. Pages are flipped through giving glimpses of newspaper clippings as well as typed documents. Words stand out -- "Convicted, 1st degree --," "3 counts --," "served -- ." An plain clothes officer closes the folder and looks out his office window where Walter stands being fingerprinted. This is Sergeant LUCAS, mid-fifties, face creased and greying hair. INT. BUS - DAY Walter watches out the window as farmland gives way to city. Traffic builds, billboards line the highway. INT. LUMBERYARD WAREHOUSE - DAY Details of machines cutting the wood. INT. WALTER'S APARTMENT - DAY Walter fills the bird feeder with birdseed. There is the SOUND of children playing, and Walter looks up. Walter's POV: Across the way, children play outside of the school. Walter watches then closes his window. EXT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - DAY Walter exits the police station and crosses the street. INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT CLOSE on fingers typing on a keyboard. A computer screen shows Walter's image -- the photo just taken of him against the blue background. Words appear across the screen as they are typed, creating an Internet notification page: Released: 02/25/02 Qualifying Offense(s):________________ We MOVE in on the photo of Walter till it fills the frame. FREEZE FRAME. All sound fades out. The title "THE WOODSMAN" fades in. END TITLES INT. OFFICE - NIGHT Walter sits in a small windowless office with his coat still on. He looks at someone off screen. MAN (O.S.) So. How are you adjusting? WALTER I'm adjusting okay. MAN (O.S.) And your new apartment? WALTER Apartment's okay. MAN (O.S.) Are you taking your medication? WALTER It gives me headaches. MAN (O.S.) But you are taking it? WALTER Yeah. Across from Walter, sits ROSEN, young, awkward and clearly new to the profession, jotting something down in a notepad. ROSEN Good. I'll talk to your physician about the headaches. Maybe he can change the prescription. Walter doesn't say anything. ROSEN And how's your job? WALTER The job's okay. ROSEN Do I take "okay" to mean you feel good about working there? WALTER I said the job is okay. ROSEN (smiling) That's right, you did. (pause) Have you made any friends there? WALTER I'm not running for Mr. Popularity. ROSEN (pause) You seem a little hostile today. WALTER That was a joke. Rosen jots something on his notepad. Walter reaches over and taps on the notebook. WALTER It's called sarcasm, Dr. Rosen. ROSEN No need to call me doctor. I'm a therapist, not a psychiatrist. WALTER It's all the same. Rosen looks at Walter for a long moment. Walter avoids his gaze. ROSEN Walter, I'd like you to try something for me. WALTER What? ROSEN I'd like you to keep a journal. WALTER A diary? ROSEN That's right. WALTER No way. ROSEN Why not? WALTER Diaries have sent too many guys to prison. ROSEN I don't understand. WALTER Ev-i-dence. ROSEN Oh. It never crossed my mind. WALTER Of course. ROSEN It was just an idea. WALTER Bad idea. ROSEN I thought a journal would encourage you to reflect. WALTER Reflect. ROSEN That's right. WALTER You think reflection is good. ROSEN It's very good, indeed. WALTER How's that? ROSEN By reflection we can derive a deeper meaning from our experience in life. We gain greater understanding about ourselves that can lead to making better choices in our relationships, our careers, and our goals. Walter looks at him flatly. WALTER You read that in a book. Rosen blushes. ROSEN Try it. WALTER No fucking way. ROSEN Then think about it. Walter is silent. EXT. PHARMACY, STRIP MALL - NIGHT The sidewalk is crowded with pedestrians. Walter heads towards the pharmacy entrance, but he is abruptly cut off by a group of kids zooming by on their scooters and skateboards. He pauses for them to pass, watches after them momentarily, then proceeds inside. INT. PHARMACY - NIGHT Walter hands a prescription to a MALE PHARMACIST. The pharmacist looks at the prescription. He glances at Walter then goes over to a FEMALE PHARMACIST working in the back area. She reads the prescription, glances at Walter over her bifocals, then back at the prescription. Walter has not missed any of this. WALTER There a problem? MALE PHARMACIST A problem? A middle-aged shopper talking on her cell phone nearby looks over and pauses in her conversation. WALTER Can you read the prescription? MALE PHARMACIST Yes. WALTER Can you fill the prescription? FEMALE PHARMACIST Yes. WALTER Then I suggest one of you move your ass, because if I don't get my medication I get extremely violent. The male pharmacist scrambles to fill the prescription. The shopper gasps. Walter looks at her and smiles. The shopper stuffs her items in her cart and quickly leaves. Walter stifles his grin. INT. WALTER'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Walter opens the door to his apartment, carrying a grocery bag. As he flips on the lights, a metal object is thrown across the room. He catches it with one hand. It's a can of beer. A man laughs. CARLOS (O.S.) You still think fast. Carlos sits at the table with a six-pack. Walter sets the bag on the table and pops open the can. WALTER Don't need to think fast to handle beer. CARLOS Took some talking to convince your super I was a relative. WALTER I told her all my relatives are good- looking. Carlos laughs. CARLOS Jesus Christ, man, it's good to see you! Carlos stands and they awkwardly embrace. CARLOS You look good, damn good, considering you're an old man now! WALTER Seems like the whole world's gotten younger. There is silence. Carlos sits back down at the table and opens another beer. Walter starts unpacking the groceries. CARLOS You doing okay? WALTER Got a job at old Frank's place. His son runs it now. CARLOS Oh man, that kid takes himself real serious. WALTER Yeah, you still with Northland? CARLOS (grins) Foreman now. WALTER No shit. CARLOS Five years. WALTER Beautiful. How's business? CARLOS Booming. Lots of building going on. We can't keep up with all the work. In fact, I just hired a few new guys... Glancing at Walter, he realizes his blunder. CARLOS Just until we catch up. There is a brief silence as both men drink. Carlos looks at Walter. CARLOS I'll never forget you got me started there. WALTER I just recommended you. You still had to prove yourself. Carlos gets up and walks over to the window. He gazes outside. CARLOS Hey, is that a school? WALTER K through sixth. Carlos glances at Walter, then back outside. CARLOS Living across the street from a grade school. Jesus. WALTER Something wrong with that? CARLOS I was just thinking of... the noise. WALTER I like the noise. Walter walks over to the window. WALTER One hundred and twenty feet. CARLOS What? WALTER Law says I can't come within one hundred feet of where children congregate. I figure the distance from my window to the school is one hundred and twenty. Make a bet? CARLOS No way, man, you'd rob me blind! The two men laugh, but the laughter quickly fades. CARLOS But maybe it's not so healthy being so close, you know, to a school. WALTER (heated) You find me a decent place for under three hundred a month in this town, and I'll happily move out of this crap neighborhood. Carlos shrugs and tosses down the rest of his beer. CARLOS I should go. Your sister worries, and when she worries she yells. WALTER How is she? CARLOS Annette? She's good... tense. WALTER When can I see her? CARLOS I'm working on it. WALTER Is it because of Anna? CARLOS I don't know. She won't talk about it. WALTER (pause) You're the only one in the family who still talks to me. CARLOS I remember when they all referred to me as "the little spic poor Annette married." Except her brother. You treated me with respect. (pause) Look, you paid your dues. Your slate is clean now. WALTER How old is Anna? CARLOS She'll be twelve next week. We're throwing a big party on Saturday. Wish I could ask you to come... WALTER Only if it's no closer than a hundred feet. Carlos looks away. WALTER Sorry, bad joke. They stiffly embrace. Then Carlos exits leaving Walter alone. EXT. SCHOOLYARD - DAWN CLOSE on a man's feet slowly walking heel to toe. The ground is covered in frost. TILT UP to reveal Walter counting his footsteps as he walks towards the school across from his apartment building. The schoolyard is empty. WALTER One hundred and ten, one hundred and eleven, one hundred and twelve... A bird's cry pierces the sky. Walter looks up to see a hawk circling above. He watches for a moment then continues walking. WALTER One hundred and thirteen, one hundred and fourteen, one hundred and fifteen... He reaches the school entrance and touches it. WALTER One hundred and twenty. Walter looks at the hawk still circling above and hollers -- WALTER How about that!? Slowly the SOUND of children fades in and a red ball bounces to Walter's feet. He looks in the direction the ball came from. Nothing is there. Walter looks back down at his feet. The ball is gone. The sound of children fades back away and is replaced by a rhythmic squeak. Walter looks towards the playground where an empty swing sways back and forth in the wind, the chain squeaking in its hinges. The hawk's cry pierces the silence. Walter looks up to see the hawk being chased by two smaller birds. INT. WAREHOUSE - DAY There is a tremendous crash as logs are dropped near the wood chipper. Forklifts move and stack wood. Walter stands at the end of a wood chipper, pushing a long piece of wood through. Suddenly above the din of machinery there is the sound of raised voices. Walter looks across the way to see Vicki yelling furiously and smacking a GUY around the head with her work gloves. The man cowers, protecting his head from the blows. Some other men nearby are doubled over in laughter. VICKI GOD DAMN IT! PEDRO! WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING! HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF SOME FUCKER DID THAT TO YOUR SISTER?! YOU WOULDN'T THINK IT SO FUNNY THEN, WOULD YOU?! She backs off out of breath. Pedro straightens up, having a very hard time keeping a straight face. The other guys start to applaud. Vicki looks around and storms off, kicking a piece of wood into one of the men, hard. She brushes past Walter on her way to the exit. He watches after her. INT. WAREHOUSE CAFETERIA - DAY Vicki sits alone at a table eating a sandwich. She takes large bites and eats fast. Walter approaches carrying a tray of food. He pauses across from where Vicki sits. Vicki ignores him. WALTER You okay? Vicki looks up. VICKI What? WALTER Are you okay? VICKI (pause) Yeah, I'm fucking fantastic. Walter nods and keeps on walking. Vicki returns to her food. After a moment, she steals a glance up at Walter. Across the way, Mary-Kay watches Walter as he sits down to the table neighboring Vicki's. Bob sits down across from Mary-Kay with a tray of food and a newspaper. He opens the paper and starts to read. MARY-KAY So, what'd he do? BOB What did who do? MARY-KAY You know, the new guy. Bob looks across the room at Walter. BOB Mind your own business, Mary-Kay. MARY-KAY Come on, just tell me what he did. Bob ignores her and reads the paper. MARY-KAY Drugs, armed robbery, manslaughter, tax evasion -- Bob picks up his tray and moves away. Mary-Kay smiles to herself. INT. BUS - DUSK Walter sits on the bus. He is squeezed into the window seat, the bus crowded with commuters and teenagers on their way home from school. He focuses out the window. INT. WALTER'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Walter sits alone on his couch, watching a baseball game, drinking a beer. SPORTSCASTER (V.O.) The winning run on base, and a full count on Williams, who's been in a terrible slump. Here's the pitch. Williams swings and misses! The Rangers win, ball game over. Walter switches off the TV. EXT. WALTER'S APARTMENT - DAY Walter crosses the street outside of his apartment and heads towards the bus stop. A white Volvo is parked along the road. A MAN sits inside the car looking out towards the school. The engine is off. He's in his twenties, good build, nice clothes. Walter looks at the man as he passes by. The man doesn't notice him, his attention fixed down the street. Walter looks in the direction of his gaze. The schoolyard is quiet except for a couple of students running in. Walter looks back at the man. The man doesn't notice him. Walter hurries to his bus stop. INT. WAREHOUSE - DAY Walter works feeding wood through the chipper. Vicki drives a forklift past Walter and watches him as she passes. He remains intent upon his work. EXT. WAREHOUSE - DUSK Walter walks across the parking lot, heading towards the bus stop. Before he reaches the road Vicki's rusty old Jeep pulls up alongside him and stops, honking to grab his attention. Vicki rolls down the passenger side window. VICKI Want a ride? WALTER I'm all right. VICKI It's fucking freezing out here. Walter hesitates and looks down the road. There is no bus in sight. VICKI Come on, I won't bite. He gets in. As they pull away, a beat up grey Chevy pulls into the parking lot. Sergeant Lucas gets out of the car, and pauses watching after Vicki and Walter. He then turns and heads into the office. INT. CAR - NIGHT Walter and Vicki drive silently. Vicki glances at Walter. VICKI There's something wrong with this picture. WALTER What picture? VICKI I'm talking about you. WALTER Me? VICKI Yeah, you. Walter looks out the window. VICKI Here's this nice, hard working guy who suddenly appears out of the blue and rides the bus to and from work. I mean, who rides the bus anymore? WALTER People without cars. She gives him a look. VICKI Very weird. WALTER No weirder than a sharp, young, good- looking woman working in a lumberyard. VICKI What's weird about that? WALTER Most women wouldn't choose it. VICKI Guess I'm not like most women. Vicki takes out a cigarette and presses the cigarette lighter in, revealing a tattoo on her wrist of a pair of breasts with angel wings. Walter notices the tattoo. Vicki notices Walter notice. She smiles at him. VICKI You're quiet at work. WALTER I'm just quiet. VICKI You don't hang out with the other guys. WALTER Neither do you. VICKI They're all assholes. Walter shrugs. VICKI You never spoke to me before. WALTER I thought you were a dyke. Vicki laughs and stops at a red light. WALTER (smiling) Are you? VICKI What do you think? She shoots him a look. INT. WALTER'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Vicki paces around the apartment. Walter takes two beers from the fridge then turns and stands holding them, watching her. VICKI Southern light. WALTER What? VICKI Your windows face south. Northern light is the purest. But southern light is very good. WALTER I'll buy a plant. VICKI You should buy several. I've got shitty light in my place, but my plants don't seem to mind. Light's important, but it's not everything. She looks at Walter. VICKI You plan to drink both those beers? WALTER Sorry. Walter hands her a beer. VICKI Thanks. She takes a swig then gazes back out the window. VICKI Is that a school? WALTER K through sixth. VICKI Doesn't it get noisy? WALTER I like the noise. VICKI My place faces a truck street. I've got cracks in every window from the shaking. WALTER You must hate it. VICKI I go backpacking a lot. Lose myself in the wilderness for a week or two. Vicki wanders through the stark living room space, looking at what little there is to look at. WALTER What about bears? VICKI What about them? WALTER They could eat you. VICKI (laughing) Yeah, they could. She looks closely at the bus map taped to the wall, the only decoration in the place. She looks at Walter. VICKI I thought you were just shy, but now I think it's something else. WALTER What? VICKI You're damaged. Walter drinks his beer and sits down on the couch. VICKI Something happened to you. WALTER Yeah? Vicki sits next to him. VICKI I'm not easily shocked. WALTER I get that impression. VICKI So... what's your dark secret? WALTER Why do you want to know? VICKI Don't you think I should know before we have sex? Walter looks at her in surprise. VICKI I don't like to waste time. Vicki leans in and kisses him. VICKI So? WALTER What? VICKI Are you going to tell me your deep dark secret before we have sex? She kisses him again. WALTER No. Vicki looks at him. VICKI Okay. She kisses him. Hesitantly, he kisses her back. SERIES OF SHOTS - JUMPING FORWARD AND BACK IN TIME A) BATHROOM: Walter's hands shake as he splashes water on his face. His shirt is off, and he wears just his jeans. He looks up at himself in the mirror. B) BEDROOM: Walter lies back on his bed. Vicki runs her hand up his chest, pulling his shirt over his head. Walter looks at Vicki, already topless. He tentatively touches her breast. C) BEDROOM: Walter kisses Vicki, then more and more rapidly, all over, passionately. They roll so she is underneath him. D) LIVINGROOM: Vicki walks backwards towards the bedroom door, pulling Walter's hand to follow. E) BEDROOM: Walter lies next to Vicki, staring up at the ceiling, spent, still breathing hard. F) BEDROOM: Walter gropes Vicki's body and urgently pulls her underwear off. G) BEDROOM: Walter and Vicki are completely engrossed in each other, making love. H) BATHROOM: Walter breaks his gaze from the mirror and turns the faucet off. INT. WALTER'S BEDROOM - NIGHT Vicki lies in bed, relaxed, smoking a cigarette. The sheets are pulled to her waist. Walter enters and sits on the side of the bed. He smiles shyly at her. WALTER So, you're not a dyke. VICKI Not tonight. Walter looks at her. Vicki laughs and nudges him in the butt with her foot. VICKI Hey, that was... intense. WALTER You're still here. VICKI I didn't say I didn't enjoy it. WALTER Of course. Sorry. I'm such a fucking asshole. VICKI No you're not. WALTER Don't tell me I'm not a fucking asshole when I know I'm a fucking asshole! Walter gets up and walks over to the window. VICKI What's the problem? WALTER You think I have a problem? VICKI Do you? WALTER (pause) It's been a while since... VICKI Since you've had sex? Walter looks out the window, silent. VICKI Tell me about it. WALTER Maybe later. VICKI How about in the morning. WALTER The morning? VICKI I thought I'd stay the night. WALTER What for? VICKI Well, Walter, this is going to sound off-the-wall, but I like to sleep with a man after we fuck. Walter is silent. VICKI Did I say something wrong? WALTER I suffer from insomnia. VICKI Is that all? WALTER When I do sleep, I sweat a lot. Usually I get nightmares and wake up screaming. VICKI (smiling) I sleep like a dead horse. Anything else? Walter has run out of excuses. Vicki drops her cigarette in an empty beer bottle and slides deeper under the covers. INT. WALTER'S APARTMENT - MORNING Walter stands by the window watching Vicki walk towards her Jeep. Something brushes his leg. He looks down to see the red ball resting by his foot. He turns to see... A glimpse of a young girl as she flashes by the door. She is twelve years old and wears a white nightgown. There is the sound of a car HONK, and Walter looks out the window to see Vicki pull away. He looks back toward the girl. There is nothing there. INT. APARTMENT BEDROOM - MORNING Walter rummages through a drawer. From underneath a pile of clothes he pulls out a well-worn notebook. Walter leafs through the pages. They are filled with writing but towards the back the pages are blank. INT. APARTMENT - DAY Walter sits next to the window watching birds play at the bird feeder. The notebook sits next to him on the windowsill. There is the SOUND of children playing outside. Walter opens the notebook, closes it, then opens it again. He looks up and sees his reflection in the window. He starts to write. WALTER (V.O.) I watch the kids arrive at school. INT. ROSEN'S OFFICE - DAY Walter sits in the chair across from Rosen, looking at his hands. ROSEN How's the journal? WALTER I'm still thinking about it. ROSEN I wish you'd give it a try. Walter is silent. ROSEN You don't like coming here, do you? WALTER It's okay. ROSEN But you don't like coming here. Be honest, Walter. WALTER Honest? No. ROSEN Good. That's an honest answer. And why don't you like coming here? WALTER Honest? Your cheery personality makes my skin itch. ROSEN (stung) Is it just my cheery personality that makes your skin itch? WALTER Forget it. ROSEN Maybe it's the way I look. Or the sound of my name. WALTER Rosen? I don't have a problem with that. ROSEN Because if you did, I know a therapist named Ryan. I also know a therapist named Chung. WALTER I don't need someone else. Rosen settles back. ROSEN Fine. Pause. Walter looks at Rosen. INT./EXT. APARTMENT - DAY Continued from previous journal scene. Walter sits at his windowsill writing in his journal. There is the sound of children arriving to school outside. He looks up. WALTER (V.O.) But for the last few weeks I've noticed someone else watching them. Walter's POV: The man with the white Volvo stands leaning against his car watching a bus load of children arrive. He pops M&Ms in his mouth. WALTER (V.O.) I call him Candy. The boys run and tackle each other. A group walks by Candy. WALTER (V.O.) He talks to the boys, fifth and sixth graders. He goes for the pretty ones, faces like angels. Walter finishes writing then looks outside. INT. BUS - MORNING Walter stands on a crowded bus, staring out the window at the landscape rushing by. The bus pulls to a stop. Passengers get off, then a group of girls come crashing onto the bus. They overflow with energy and giggles. Walter squeezes back so they can get by, but the bus lurches into motion throwing one of the girls into Walter. He helps her regain her balance, and the girl smiles at him. GIRL Sorry! She and her friends burst into laughter and move on past. Walter watches her move down the aisle then quickly turns away, scanning the faces surrounding him. No one looks at him. INT. WAREHOUSE - DAY Walter sweats heavily as he works. Vicki walks by and glances at Walter as she passes. He doesn't notice her. INT. WAREHOUSE CAFETERIA - DAY Walter sits at a table eating. Vicki sits down across from him. They eat silently. Walter doesn't look up. Vicki blows a straw wrapper, hitting Walter in the face. After a moment, without glancing up, Walter retaliates. Vicki smothers a laugh. Walter cracks a smile. Mary-Kay sits across the room watching the flirtation between Vicki and Walter. INT. WAREHOUSE BATHROOM - DAY Vicki exits a stall and goes to the sink to wash her hands. She's smiling a little smile to herself. Mary-Kay enters and starts primping in the mirror, fixing her hair, putting on lipstick. She watches Vicki in the reflection of the mirror. MARY-KAY I'd keep away from him. VICKI What? MARY-KAY The new man. I'd keep away from him, if I were you. VICKI Why's that? MARY-KAY You don't want to know, but he's damaged goods -- real damaged goods, if you know what I mean. VICKI (cold) Yeah, Mary-Kay, I think I do. Thanks a bunch for the advice. Mary-Kay smiles, missing Vicki's ironic tone. MARY-KAY Just trying to be helpful. VICKI Well, Mary, you're about as helpful as a broken sewer pipe. You do know what runs out of a sewer pipe, don't you? Mary-Kay's smile withers into a sneer. MARY-KAY Suit yourself. She drops the lipstick into her bag and exits. Vicki turns and finishes washing her hands, glancing at herself in the mirror. EXT. WAREHOUSE - LATER Walter exits the building amidst a group of men. He walks towards the bus stop. Vicki hollers to him from her Jeep. VICKI Hey. Vicki waves him over. INT. DINER - NIGHT Vicki sits across from Walter in a booth. She takes a large bite from a burger and washes it down with a milk shake. Walter folds his napkin over his hand to make a little rabbit hand puppet. The rabbit nods at Vicki. She busts out laughing. INT. BAR - NIGHT Walter and Vicki play pool. She knocks two balls into a corner pocket. She is kicking his ass and visibly enjoying it. Walter hands her a quarter. Vicki kisses him on the cheek and goes to line up the next shot. INT. WALTER'S BATHROOM - NIGHT Walter and Vicki shower together. Walter rinses the suds from Vicki's hair. INT. WALTER'S BEDROOM - NIGHT Vicki and Walter have just finished making love, Vicki on top. She lies down on his chest. He strokes her hair, then leans his head close and takes a deep breath. INT. WALTER'S BEDROOM - MORNING Vicki is woken up by Walter who makes the moaning sounds of someone having a nightmare. She turns on her side and watches him. Walter wakes up with a start, then sees Vicki and cuddles close. She runs her fingers through his hair and kisses his forehead. VICKI Hey, there. WALTER (sleepy) Hi. He closes his eyes again. Vicki looks at him closely. VICKI What happened to you? Walter opens his eyes. Vicki continues to stroke his hair. VICKI Walter, what did you do? Walter pulls away. WALTER Why do you want to know? VICKI Because I like you. Walter is silent. VICKI I won't run away. There's a long pause. He rests back down against the pillows. WALTER What's the worst thing you ever did? VICKI The worst? WALTER Yeah. Vicki looks at him. VICKI Fucked my best friend's husband. Walter listens with no reaction. VICKI I mean my best friend since the second grade. Her husband was hot for me and, god, he was cute. She was an international flight attendant, so we would get it on for days, while she was off in some country we couldn't pronounce. Then he told her, the shit. It broke up our friendship, broke up their marriage. Later she had a nervous breakdown, quit her job, then moved in with her sister who she despised. Vicki lights a cigarette and takes a long drag. VICKI I still feel like the lowest piece of shit, when I think about it. She looks at Walter. He says nothing, his expression blank. VICKI So, what did you do? WALTER I molested little girls. VICKI Molested little girls? WALTER Yeah. Vicki laughs. WALTER You don't believe me? She shakes her head no but the laughter begins to die. WALTER I wish the judge had your sense of humor. Vicki is quiet. VICKI You're not joking. WALTER Twelve years in prison is no joke. Walter gets out of bed and pulls on his pants. Vicki doesn't move, the cigarette burns in her hand. WALTER (signaling to the door) Look, you can go now. VICKI How many girls did you molest? Walter walks over to the window. WALTER Obviously one too many. (bitter laugh) Vicki looks away. WALTER Sorry. VICKI What did you do to them? WALTER (looking back out the window) It's not what you think. VICKI How young? WALTER Between ten and twelve. Once a nine- year-old told me she was eleven. Once a fourteen-year-old told me she was twelve. I always asked how old they were. Vicki is visibly shaken. She puts the cigarette out. VICKI So it was mostly fondling? Shit like that? Walter looks at her. WALTER I never hurt them. Never. VICKI Twelve years in prison? WALTER The judge had a thing about sex offenders. Later I heard his daughter had been raped. If I hadn't had a good lawyer, it would have been twenty- five to thirty. Vicki is silent. WALTER Why don't you just go now, okay? VICKI I told you I'm not easily shocked. WALTER You should be shocked. Or do you get off on this shit? VICKI What? WALTER Get your kicks somewhere else. VICKI Hey, I'm not -- WALTER Depraved? My mistake. VICKI Walter. Advancing towards her. WALTER Get the fuck out of here! Vicki doesn't move. After a long moment, Walter sits down next to her. VICKI You don't molest little girls anymore, do you? WALTER No. Never again. Vicki looks away, struggling to digest the news. WALTER (quiet) You should go now. Vicki gets up and pulls on her clothes. She looks at Walter who sits motionless on the bed. She leaves. INT. VICKI'S CAR - DAY Vicki drives fast. Window down. Cigarette gripped between her fingers. Tears stream down her face. She comes to a stop light and sits completely still, staring ahead without blinking. Suddenly cars HONK. She snaps out of her stupor and keeps on driving. INT. WALTER'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Walter sits on the couch writing in his journal. The TV is on, a baseball game in progress, sound on low. Abruptly, Walter throws the journal across the room. Then he lies back and stares at the ceiling. Suddenly, there is a loud THUMP outside of the apartment. Walter picks up his journal and puts it in a drawer, then walks quietly to the door and opens it a crack. EXT. WALTER'S APARTMENT LANDING - NIGHT A man struggles to bring a large object up the stairs. Walter opens the door. Carlos turns in surprise. WALTER What are you doing? CARLOS This little table is one heavy bitch. INT. WALTER'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Carlos enters the apartment and sets a table down in the middle of the room. Walter looks at it. WALTER Cherry. CARLOS Huh? WALTER It's made from cherry. That's a hard wood. CARLOS It's a nice table. Walter runs his hand along the surface. WALTER Notice the grain. See how deep and rich the red runs? CARLOS Yeah. It's really nice. Carlos sits in a chair. WALTER It's my own design. You won't find another table like it in the world. CARLOS It was a beautiful present. WALTER Then why the fuck are you giving it back to me?! CARLOS (gesturing to the empty space) You need a table. WALTER She was going to throw it out, wasn't she? Just toss it like a scrap of wood. CARLOS It wasn't like that. WALTER Then what? What?! CARLOS She's got all this new furniture now. She said it didn't fit anymore, so I kept it in the attic. I thought you might like it. WALTER I made that table for you and Annette, for your wedding. I put a lot of love into it. CARLOS I know, man. I love this table too. (looks at Walter) But I also love my wife. Carlos notices the TV. CARLOS What's happening? WALTER Mariners are pounding the shit out of the Tigers. Walter stares at Carlos for a moment, then turns and goes to the fridge and pulls out two beers. He hands Carlos a beer and sits down on the couch. Carlos sits down next to him. CARLOS Fucking Mariners. WALTER Fucking Tigers. They got no pitching except for a bunch of green kids straight out of Double A or Southern Cal. (pause) How was the party? CARLOS What party? WALTER The birthday party. CARLOS Oh, Anna's. It was great, man. Anna was so pretty. (getting excited) She looked like a princess, like one of those girls in a fairy tale, you know, like Snow White. Walter looks at Carlos. CARLOS I've got some pictures. (reaching for his back pocket) Want to see? WALTER No thanks. CARLOS Ah, come on. WALTER (snapping) I don't want to see any goddamn pictures. Carlos backs off. CARLOS They're just photos I took of the party. Walter is silent and avoids Carlos's gaze. Carlos gives Walter a look, then heads to the door. WALTER Carlos. (Carlos turns) I want to see my sister and Anna in person. Okay? Carlos nods. CARLOS Yeah, man, I understand. He exits. Walter walks over to the table and slowly runs his hand along the surface. INT. ROSEN'S OFFICE - DAY Walter sits across from Rosen. ROSEN How do you feel about that? WALTER I don't feel anything. ROSEN You have no feelings for your niece? WALTER She was born after they put me away. How can I have feelings? ROSEN Then why are you talking about this? WALTER Have to talk about something. ROSEN What are you afraid will happen? WALTER I'm not afraid. I'm just saying that Carlos has a thing for his daughter, and if he isn't careful he's going to suffer. ROSEN Have you talked to Carlos about your concerns? WALTER I'm not that crazy. ROSEN Do you think you're crazy? WALTER If I'm not, then what the hell am I doing here? ROSEN Why do you think you're here? WALTER You know why. It's part of the parole deal. ROSEN Is that what you are angry about? WALTER Talking to you is like riding on a merry-go-round. ROSEN That is a marvelous image, Walter. Because by going in circles we find the things we missed the first time around. Walter looks at Rosen. WALTER How long is this going to take? ROSEN (checking the clock) We have a few more minutes. WALTER I mean, when will I be normal. ROSEN (pause) We have a lot of work to do. WALTER (speaking slowly) Will I ever be normal? ROSEN I couldn't say. WALTER You couldn't say. ROSEN I'm afraid not. WALTER Do you know what "normal" is? ROSEN I suppose it's however society defines it. WALTER How do you define it? ROSEN I don't. WALTER Then how do you know if your patients are getting better? ROSEN They usually tell me. WALTER How do they know? ROSEN What is your idea of being normal? WALTER (mimicking Rosen) What is your idea of being a Jew? ROSEN (controlled) Whatever my ideas are of being a Jew is not going to help you. (looks at the clock) Why don't we continue this on Thursday. WALTER (exploding) I want to be normal! ROSEN Then go see a therapist who will tell you you're normal! WALTER Fuck you, Rosen! ROSEN I know -- WALTER You don't know! ROSEN I know you're frustrated, Walter, but -- Walter gets up and slams out the door. Rosen looks at the empty chair. ROSEN -- you really are making progress. INT. WALTER'S APARTMENT - MORNING Walter sits at his window with his journal, watching outside. Walter's POV: Candy leans against his car, patiently waiting. Something grabs Candy's attention, and Walter follows his gaze. Kids pour off a school bus. Candy waves to one ANGEL-FACED BOY of ten or eleven. WALTER (V.O.) So what should I do? Call the cops? (he laughs) Yeah, that's pretty funny. The boy and a buddy run over to Candy. WALTER But what if Candy seduces one to go for a ride? Candy smiles and offers Angel-face a candy bar, which the boy accepts. WALTER (V.O.) Yeah, that's right. If the boy goes for a ride it's because he wants to go for a ride. The BELL rings. The other boy grabs Angel-face, and they run off to school. Walter rests his chin on his hands, watching. INT. WAREHOUSE LOCKER ROOM - DAY Vicki closes her locker to see Walter standing at the end of the room in front of his locker. She looks away. Walter looks at her, closes his locker loudly, and walks brusquely past. EXT. WAREHOUSE - DAY Vicki stands near a pile of wood chips, taking a cigarette break. Walter approaches, pushing a cart full of wood chips. Vicki looks at him as if to say something, but Walter continues past, dumps the chips, and returns back inside. INT. WAREHOUSE CAFETERIA - DAY Walter sits at a table across the room from Vicki. Mary-Kay enters and sits down with Walter MARY-KAY Hi, Walter. How are you doing? WALTER Fine thanks. MARY-KAY You know, it's really a beautiful day out there, and I was thinking -- Walter wipes his mouth and gets up. WALTER Excuse me. Got another load coming in. Walter exits. The smile fades from Mary-Kay's face. Vicki watches Walter leave. EXT. WAREHOUSE - DUSK Walter stands alone at the bus stop. Vicki gets in her Jeep and pauses before turning on the engine, watching Walter. He turns his back to the cold wind and her. Vicki turns on the car and pulls out of the lot, roaring by Walter without looking at him. INT. VICKI'S APT. - MORNING Vicki moves around her apartment, cigarette in one hand, spray bottle in the other, squirting her plants. She prunes dead leaves from one of them, then pauses looking at the leaves in her hands. VICKI Don't die on me, you little shit. She aggressively squirts the little plant with water, then pauses, noticing her reflection in the window. She looks at herself long and hard. INT. WALTER'S APT. - MORNING There is a knock on the door. Walter walks through the room to the door, tucking in his shirt as he walks. He cracks the door. Vicki stands outside. Walter opens the door. VICKI You want to go for a ride? Walter looks at her. INT. VICKI'S CAR - A LITTLE LATER Walter and Vicki drive without saying anything. Slowly the city-scape gives way to countryside. Walter looks over at Vicki. She stares ahead. EXT. RESERVOIR - DAY Walter and Vicki get out of the car which is parked on the edge of a reservoir surrounded by a thick pine forest. Vicki works her way down to the water's edge. A Great Blue Heron skims across the water's surface. Walter watches her for a moment then follows. He sits down near her. Vicki lights a cigarette and stares out over the water. After a long pause. VICKI What was prison like? WALTER (pause) You don't really -- VICKI Yes! I want to know. Walter is quiet for a moment. WALTER Prison is... time. Vicki looks at him. VICKI You mean the time you're locked away? WALTER No. Prison is time. That's it. You think time, you feel time, you hear time. Your heart doesn't beat to live, it just beats... time. VICKI I'm sorry, Walter. WALTER (shrugs) Don't be sorry for me. I did those things. No one else did. I'm dealing with that. Vicki looks out at the water. VICKI My father took me fishing here when I was a kid. He could name every fish in the lake. And for every fish he named, he had a fishing story. I hated fishing, but I loved his stories. WALTER Sounds like a special guy. VICKI My father was an alcoholic who drank himself right into the grave. Walter looks at her. VICKI He said he couldn't help it. Said he hated himself for doing it. But, boy, did that man love to drink. There is a long pause. WALTER I've changed. VICKI Why young girls, Walter? Walter is silent. VICKI Is it their innocence? Their beauty?... WALTER (pause) Their power. They seduce me. VICKI They seduce you? WALTER I was always the one seduced. VICKI You really believe that? WALTER (long pause) No. That's what I used to tell myself. VICKI And what do you tell yourself now? WALTER Nothing. It's over. VICKI Bullshit. Walter looks at Vicki for a moment then stands up. WALTER Okay. Then take me home. Vicki doesn't move. WALTER What do you want from me? Vicki stands. VICKI I want you to change my mind! Walter is silent. Vicki shoves Walter hard. VICKI Try, goddamnit! Walter stumbles back a few steps but regains himself. He stares at Vicki. His anger wells and he snaps. WALTER I had this plan once... or maybe it was a dream. I was going to quit the building business... open my own shop. Make and design fine country furniture. I had saved enough money. I found the perfect place. Cheap five-year-lease. The loan was in the bag. My wife was a hundred percent behind it. Everything was set... Then I got in trouble. (pause) Do you know what the worst kind of trouble is? Vicki watches Walter, silent. WALTER It's trouble you bring on yourself... and the people you love the most. I lost a wife and a daughter. It hurt to lose my wife. It killed me to lose my daughter. Walter stops, looks at Vicki. Vicki stares back at him. After a long pause, she approaches and tentatively pulls him into an embrace. INT. OFFICE SPACE Close up on computer screen displaying a web page for registered felons. The heading reads - "Sex Offenders: the more we know, the better!" "Stay informed!" Mock Police sirens and lights frame the heading. The listing of sex offenders scrolls down revealing photos, name, address, and crime details of man after man, in alphabetical order, page after page. The scrolling slows down, past "Mason," past all of the Mc's..., and stops on "Miles, Walter." Convicted 1988 for sexual abuse of minors, five counts, released... It is the notification page that we saw created in the opening montage. Walter's photo stares back at us. We slowly pull back to reveal Mary-Kay at the computer. She clucks her tongue and shakes her head. INT. WALTER'S BEDROOM - DAY Vicki and Walter lie in bed, spooning, fully clothed. Vicki's back to Walter, he holds her close. WALTER (gently) You know, this is crazy. VICKI What? WALTER Being here, with me. VICKI I know. WALTER (pause) Most people say the odds are against me. VICKI What odds? WALTER The percentages -- Vicki looks at him blankly. WALTER For men like me. They say most of us end up back... there. I'm saying there are risks... seeing me. VICKI Well, most people are stupid. (pause) You want to talk about odds? One day I'll tell you how I survived as the youngest in a family of three sons. You wanna talk about odds? WALTER Why not tell me now? Long pause. Vicki lights a cigarette. VICKI I got poked around... here and there. WALTER Which brother did this? VICKI All three -- in chronological order. WALTER You must hate your brothers. VICKI I love my brothers. WALTER No you don't. VICKI I love all of them. They're strong, gentle men with families of their own. And if you asked them about what they did to me, they'd call you a fucking liar and then beat the shit out of you. WALTER You never asked them about it? VICKI (laughs) Are you serious? WALTER Not ever? VICKI Not ever. Vicki drinks from her beer. Walter watches her. INT. WALTER'S APT. - NIGHT Walter sits at his table, a scrap of wood in his hand. He whittles away at the wood. It is the rough outline of a heart with wings. There is a loud KNOCK on the door. Walter gets up. The KNOCK comes again, even harder. Walter goes to the door and opens it. The smiles fades from his face. Sergeant Lucas pushes the door open further and walks right in. He wears a well-tailored suit. LUCAS Hiya, Walter. WALTER Cop. MAN Sergeant Lucas. (flashes his badge) May I come in? WALTER You are in. LUCAS So I am. But I always like to ask. Walter closes the door behind him. Lucas walks around the apartment. Walter watches him, uneasy. WALTER What's up? LUCAS Have a seat. Walter hesitates, then obeys. LUCAS You don't know? WALTER I have no idea. LUCAS I think you do. WALTER Why don't you just tell me? Lucas walks over to the window. WALTER (pause) I haven't broken any laws. LUCAS Then you won't mind if I look around. WALTER I would. LUCAS Got something to hide? WALTER Doesn't everybody? LUCAS I could get a search warrant. WALTER If you could, you would have brought one today. Lucas looks at Walter. He looks at the table. LUCAS Cherry? WALTER Yeah. LUCAS Unusual design for a contemporary piece. Lucas runs his hand along the surface. WALTER It's not for sale. LUCAS Who said I wanted to buy it? Lucas walks back to the window. LUCAS Two nights ago, a ten-year-old girl was attacked not too far from here. Seems there's been a number of attacks on young girls in the vicinity. Kind of a coincidence, wouldn't you say? Walter stands up. WALTER If you tell me when this happened -- Walter places his hands in his pockets. Lucas whirls around. LUCAS Move your fucking hands away from your pockets! Walter does. LUCAS Sit down! Walter sits. LUCAS We know every step you make, every goddamn step! We know when you sleep, when you eat, when you shit, and when you jack off. Lucas leans over the table, nose to nose with Walter. LUCAS And when you sit by the window, watching the girls in the little cotton skirts parade by, do you wave your wanger at the girls? Is that when you jerk off? WALTER You can't talk to me like -- LUCAS (interrupting) Like a piece of shit? In my eyes, you are a piece of shit. Think anyone would miss you if I threw you out the window right now? I could say you jumped when I came in. Who are they going to believe? Not you, because you'd be a dead piece of shit. Beat. Lucas taps Walter on the forehead and smiles. LUCAS (feigning kindness) We just want to make sure you're being a good boy, Walter. Okay? Walter is silent. Lucas taps him again. LUCAS Okay? WALTER (flatly) Okay. Lucas rises, spits his gum in the sink, and leaves. Walter leans over squeezing his head tight between his hands. The sound of children fades in and Walter looks up. The girl with the red ball stands across from him in the doorway to his bedroom. She smiles and bounces the ball. Walter folds over, cradling his head in his arms. EXT. WALTER'S APT. - DAY Walter stands alone at his bus stop. As he waits, he sees the white Volvo turn a corner and pull up in front of the school. The bus pulls up to the stop, obscuring Walter's view. He quickly gets on and moves to the back, looking for Candy's car. It is nowhere in sight, the place where it had parked, empty. Walter sits down and stares ahead, numb. EXT. MALL - DAY It's a bright Saturday afternoon. A city bus turns into the parking lot of a large mall. Passengers exit the bus and pour into the mall's entrance. Walter is among them. WALTER (V.O.) I followed a girl. INT. MALL - DAY Music blares from speakers. Packs of teenagers cruise the mall. It is alive with chatter. WALTER (V.O.) I don't know why I did it. Walter is frequently jostled, as if he has forgotten how to navigate crowds. WALTER There were all of these people... He passes many stores and snack shops then sees a Barnes & Noble and enters. INT. BOOKSTORE - DAY The bookstore is two floors and vast. Walter looks lost as he moves through the crowds. CUT TO: Walter rides an escalator. Three girls stand ahead of him. The girl closest to him wears a short skirt which flutters above Walter's face. He looks up. WALTER (V.O.) She was pretty. Very pretty. They reach the next level and Walter watches the girl walk away with her friends. Suddenly, the girl looks back. Their eyes lock -- briefly. She turns the corner. WALTER She gave me a look. If she hadn't given me that look... Walter pauses, then follows. The girl separates from her friends and goes down an aisle. Walter follows her. She goes down another aisle. He follows. In the middle of the aisle, the girl bends down, looking at titles. From the end of the aisle, Walter pretends to be looking for a book as he edges closer to her. He's now a few feet away. The girl pulls out a book and opens it. Walter gazes at the nape of her neck. SALESMAN (O.S.) Can I help you find something? Walter turns, startled. Behind the salesman, Walter sees a security guard exit the rest room area. WALTER No, I'm -- He turns, the girl is gone. He bolts the other way, through the aisles, down the elevator, through the mall as fast as possible. The faces are a blur, sound becomes distorted. Then we hear -- ROSEN (O.S.) Did she know that you were following her? INT. ROSEN'S OFFICE Walter sits in Rosen's office. WALTER I don't know. ROSEN What did you think would happen? WALTER I don't know. ROSEN What did you want to happen? WALTER I don't know! Walter is agitated. Rosen calmly writes. WALTER I can't believe I took such a risk. (looks at Rosen) Will you stop writing in that fucking pad! Rosen stops and looks at Walter. WALTER You know that if anything happens, I spend the rest of my life in prison. No parole, no nothing. ROSEN Is this the first one? WALTER Of course it is! That's why I'm telling you! ROSEN I want you to calm down. With effort Walter settles down. ROSEN You followed a girl. One girl. Perhaps you wanted to see what it felt like after so many years. Maybe unconsciously you were testing yourself. You followed her and nothing happened. And here you are talking about it with me. This is positive. There is a pause. Walter looks down, unconvinced. Rosen checks the time. ROSEN Walter, we'll pick up here next time. WALTER I want to talk about it now. ROSEN We'll talk about it more on Thursday. WALTER Remember when you asked me what my idea of "normal" was? ROSEN (gently) Go home, Walter. WALTER Now I know. It's when I can see a girl, be near a girl, even talk to a girl... and walk away. (pause) That's my idea of being normal. INT. BUS-STOP - DAY Walter rides the bus, staring out the window. Sensing something, he looks up. A GIRL sits across from Walter. She is about twelve years old. She wears glasses and a pair of binoculars hangs around her neck. She casually nibbles on food she produces from her backpack. She glances at Walter briefly then looks back out the window. Walter turns away. INT. WALTER'S KITCHEN - NIGHT Walter and Vicki sit at his table eating Chinese take-out. Walter glances at Vicki who is devouring her food. WALTER Maybe this isn't a good idea. VICKI What? WALTER (pause) Us seeing each other. She looks up at him. VICKI You're scared. WALTER I'm not scared. VICKI Neither am I. WALTER Maybe you should be. Walter gets up from the table and clears his plate to the sink. Vicki looks at him. VICKI Well, Walter, I got an idea of my own. He avoids her look. VICKI You listening to me? He doesn't answer. VICKI We should live together. WALTER (looks at her) Live together. VICKI Move in with me. He stares at her. WALTER It's a bad idea. VICKI I think it's a fucking good idea. Walter goes to the fridge for a beer. WALTER I don't even know how to live with myself. VICKI Just think about it. WALTER I've got problems. VICKI Who doesn't? WALTER Most people don't have my kind of problems. VICKI Guess that makes you pretty special. WALTER That's not what I meant. Vicki looks at him blankly. WALTER I say we call it quits. VICKI Fine. Vicki puts her fork down, pulls on her jacket and exits. Walter looks at the closed door, baffled. WALTER She's gone. (pause) That was easy. He takes a swig from his beer. WALTER Good. I'm glad. I'm fucking glad! EXT. WALTER'S APARTMENT - CONTINUED Vicki jogs down the stairs and over to her Jeep. She opens the door. INT. WALTER'S APARTMENT - CONTINUED Walter pulls the carving he was working on from a drawer and looks at it. It's finished. Vicki reenters holding a plant and sets it loudly on the table. Walter looks at her then at the plant. WALTER What's this? VICKI What's it look like? She gets herself a beer from the fridge. WALTER I don't need a plant. VICKI Everyone needs a plant. This ivy is one tough baby. It's a cutting from one of mine. Walter seems at a loss. Vicki takes a swig from her beer. VICKI Here's the deal. Give it a little water. Go easy on the direct sunlight. And notice it every once in a while. They love it when you look at them, or touch their leaves. Can you handle that? Walter looks unconvinced. WALTER Thank you. VICKI You're such an asshole. She kisses him then gives him a teasing look. VICKI Don't be scared, Walter. WALTER (cracking a smile) I'm not scared. VICKI Prove it. Vicki walks towards the bedroom. WALTER Hey. Vicki turns. He tosses her the carving. Vicki catches it and looks at it for a long moment, then at Walter. WALTER I made it for you. She smiles. WALTER It's cedar. INT. WAREHOUSE LOCKER ROOM - DAY There is the usual morning chaos in the locker room. Walter opens his locker but stops abruptly. Taped to the inside of his locker is a magazine ad of a young girl, joyfully swinging on a swing. Scrawled over the image in red marker is a circle with line across it and the words "WE'RE WATCHING YOU" written below. Walter quickly tears down the picture and looks around. The men are all oblivious. INT. WAREHOUSE - DAY Walter works at the saw, watching closely every person that walks by him. No one pays him any mind. Bob, the boss, walks into the space and stops to have a few words with a worker who points in Walter's direction. Bob heads towards Walter. Walter sees him coming and pauses in his work. Bob walks right by to talk to another man working behind Walter. Walter watches for a moment then continues working. INT. WAREHOUSE - LATER Walter exits the mens room and stops to drink from the water fountain. Mary-Kay is walking down the hall and pauses. MARY-KAY Hi, Walter. How ya doing? WALTER Fine thanks. How are you, Mary-Kay? She leans up against the wall. MARY-KAY Well, I've got this problem. I promised my sister that I'd babysit her little girl tonight while she's on a date. Single mother, right? Her daughter's a cute little thing, about nine or ten. Real entertaining. But once she's asleep, I get soo bored. I'd love to have some company. She gives Walter a suggestive look. MARY-KAY What are you doing tonight, Walter? WALTER (cold) I got plans. A couple of men walk down the hall interrupting them. WALTER Have a nice day, Mary-Kay. Mary-Kay watches Walter walk away. INT. BUS - DUSK Walter rides the bus, staring out the window. The bus is crowded. Time passes, fewer passengers, dusk has turned to night. INT. ROSEN'S OFFICE - NIGHT Walter and Rosen sit in their usual places. ROSEN You're very late. WALTER Sorry. ROSEN Please don't do it again. WALTER I said I was sorry. ROSEN I can't move my patients around to accommodate one person. Walter silently stares at his hands. Rosen looks at him closely. ROSEN Walter, I want to ask you a question. Will you try to answer it? Walter looks at him. ROSEN When did it all start? WALTER You mean my problem? ROSEN If by "problem" you mean your desire for prepubescent girls, yes. WALTER I don't know. ROSEN That's not a helpful answer. WALTER That's my answer. Rosen looks at Walter. ROSEN Close your eyes. WALTER What? ROSEN I'd like you to close your eyes. WALTER Why? ROSEN To relax. WALTER (snaps) I'm relaxed. ROSEN Close your eyes and let your mind be blank. WALTER Hey, Rosen, you going to hypnotize me? Walter laughs. ROSEN No, I am not going to -- WALTER (closing his eyes) Okay. Eyes closed, mind a blank. I'm all yours. Do it, Rosen. Rosen gets up so he's positioned directly in front of Walter. ROSEN When I say the word "girl" what is the earliest image that you can remember? WALTER Nothing. Can I open my eyes? ROSEN No. When I say the word "pretty," when I say the word "pleasure," what is the earliest memory you see? WALTER I don't see -- ROSEN In your mind, Walter. Take your time. After a moment, Walter's expression shifts. ROSEN (watching closely) Who do you see? WALTER (long pause) I see my sister. Rosen is excited by this "breakthrough." ROSEN Where is she? What is she doing? How old -- WALTER (interrupting) Not so fast. ROSEN Sorry. (pause) Where is she? WALTER In my bedroom, sleeping. ROSEN Where? WALTER In my bed, Rosen. Where do you think? ROSEN Where are you? WALTER In my bed too. ROSEN How old are you and your sister? WALTER We're little kids. ROSEN But roughly, how old? WALTER I'm maybe about six... which would make her four. Rosen walks around Walter and paces behind him. ROSEN And what are you doing? WALTER Just lying there. (pause) We're taking a nap. ROSEN A nap? WALTER Yes, a nap. Kids do that. You ever take a nap, Rosen? Walter opens his eyes. WALTER I don't want to talk about it any more. He sees Rosen behind him. WALTER What the hell are you doing there? ROSEN Did you and your sister often take naps together? WALTER (exploding) I want you back in your chair! Right now! Rosen stumbles back to his chair. WALTER Don't ever do that again. ROSEN All right. WALTER I don't like nobody behind my back! ROSEN I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been there. Walter looks away, quelling his anger. ROSEN Walter, what did you do while taking a nap with your sister? WALTER Nothing. ROSEN Did you touch her? Did you take off her clothes? Did you take off your clothes? WALTER This is garbage! ROSEN I'm only asking questions. WALTER Okay I'll tell you what I did -- just to shut you up! (pause) I smelled her hair. ROSEN What else? WALTER That's all. I just liked smelling her hair. ROSEN You felt pleasure. WALTER (long pause) Yes. Rosen writes a few notes. ROSEN Did you get an erection? WALTER (glaring at Rosen) I was six years old! ROSEN I meant later... when you two took naps. Walter is silent. ROSEN When the two of you held each other. When you were ten or eleven and she was eight or nine. When your parents were out and the two of you were alone... completely alone in that big house. WALTER It was a small house. ROSEN All right. A small house... with small rooms. WALTER (his eyes well up.) I smelled her hair. That's it. I just liked smelling her hair. Walter presses his face into his hands. Rosen watches him silently. When Walter lifts his face... INT. BAR - NIGHT ...Carlos sits before him. They are in a booth, the table covered with drinks and remnants of bar food. The bar bustles in the background. CARLOS I've got some good news. WALTER What's that? CARLOS Annette will see you. Walter is quiet. CARLOS Aren't you glad? WALTER When? CARLOS Soon. WALTER Next week? The week after? CARLOS Early July. Walter looks at Carlos. CARLOS It's just a better time. Carlos avoids Walter's gaze. CARLOS Anna will be away at camp. The house will be quiet. It's better when it's quiet. WALTER Tell Annette I'm busy in July. CARLOS C'mon, Walter. WALTER You should see my appointment book. It got crazy. CARLOS It's not what you think. WALTER Isn't it? CARLOS The important thing is that you and Annette need to talk. She needs to see you, and you need to see her. WALTER (a long pause) I'm not a monster. CARLOS You're a good man, Walter. Okay, you did some wrong things, but inside you're a good, decent man. WALTER Maybe I'm not a good man. Maybe inside I'm bad, and I'll always be bad. CARLOS Don't talk like that. The waitress interrupts to clear the table, leaning over to grab the empty plates. Carlos checks her out. CARLOS (pause) Next week Annette is going away for a few days. And the thing is that when Annette's away... Carlos watches the waitress depart. CARLOS I get horny as hell for other women. (whispering) I mean I fantasize about raping some beautiful woman. WALTER You don't have to tell me this. CARLOS I'm just talking, man. WALTER Carlos, I never raped a woman. CARLOS I know. I'm just saying I understand. Walter doesn't look at Carlos. CARLOS It's crazy out there. (signaling to the crowd) Young girls wearing mini this and mini that. Sometimes when I walk down the street and pass some sexy looking woman, she makes me feel like I'm bothering her. She stares down like she's afraid to look at me. Why she do that? Why can't she look me in the face? WALTER Maybe because you're looking her in the face. Carlos looks at Walter. CARLOS I see a pretty woman, I look. That's the price of beauty, my friend. My god, you should see what Anna's friends wear. Carlos laughs. Walter looks at him. WALTER Carlos, can I ask you something? CARLOS Sure. WALTER (pause) Nothing. CARLOS Ask me. Ask me anything. WALTER (pause) Did you ever... Do you have feelings for Anna? Carlos looks at Walter. CARLOS What do you mean? WALTER I mean... feelings. A look of horror/disgust passes over Carlos's face, and he lurches forward grabbing Walter by the shirt collar. Drinks spill. CARLOS Listen, man. I don't got your sick problem, and if you or anybody else ever comes near my daughter, I'll kill you. Carlos lets go of Walter roughly and gets up and leaves. Walter looks around embarrassed -- onlookers slowly turn away. Walter picks up a napkin and starts to blot the table dry. INT. WALTER'S BEDROOM - NIGHT Vicki stands before Walter who sits on the edge of the bed. Both are naked. She kisses him. He turns her around and pulls her to his lap. Walter's hands are on her hips. He moves her body slowly -- very slowly -- around his lap. Vicki goes with it, enjoying herself, then tries to turn around. Walter holds her still. VICKI Walter... He leans his face into her hair. He takes deep audible breaths. Vicki tries to turn again, but he won't let her. She is aroused but confused. VICKI Walter... let me... She tries to reach back. Walter catches her hand and holds it to her side. WALTER Don't touch me... please. He holds her tight. INT. WALTER'S BEDROOM - EARLY MORNING Walter lies in bed, eyes open. There is the SOUND of children playing outside. He carefully sits up in bed revealing Vicki asleep beside him. EXT. SCHOOLYARD - MORNING In slightly fast motion grainy style of transferred 8 mm, kids parade down the sidewalk heading for school. The camera pans to reveal Candy watching them. WALTER (V.O.) (in the ratatat tone of a sportscaster) Good morning, fellow sports fans. The match is about to begin. Candy enters the arena looking sweet and trim. He checks out the scene but plays it cool. He's definitely holding back. (Pause) Uh-oh, Candy's eyes have locked onto something. Oh yeah. Trailing behind the others is the angel-faced boy. Freeze frame. WALTER (V.O.) A cherub of a lad has separated from his friends. Candy quickly makes his move. He pats the cherub on his head, ruffles his hair. With his other hand, he offers the boy a bag of M&Ms. Jumbo size. The boy tears open the bag. Candy smiles. Freeze frame. WALTER Round one to Candy. Candy points across the street to his white Volvo. WALTER A very risky move by Candy. The boy looks at the car but walks away! Candy follows the boy. Freeze frame. WALTER Round two goes to the cherub. Candy struts around the boy rapping, clapping, snapping his fingers. WALTER I have never seen Candy act so cocky. Candy points to his car again, then dances, seen in slowmotion, toward it. WALTER The cherub looks at Candy; the cherub looks at the car; the cherub looks for his friends. But his friends are long gone. The cherub is alone. The cherub crosses the street! Candy opens the car door. WALTER (pause. Normal tone) The cherub gets in the car. The boy gets in the car. Instant replay. The boy gets in the car. ZOOM IN. The car door closes. INT. WALTER'S APT. - DAY Walter sits staring out the window. The sound of children playing. Vicki walks into the room and sees Walter sitting by the window. She walks up behind him and puts her hands on his shoulders. VICKI What are you doing? Walter turns around, startled, brushing her off. WALTER Don't do that. VICKI Do what? WALTER Sneak up behind me like that. VICKI What's your fucking problem? WALTER Why's it always my fucking problem? Vicki looks at Walter. VICKI What's going on? WALTER Nothing. Vicki looks at him. WALTER I didn't sleep well. VICKI Do you want to talk about it? WALTER I need a shower. He walks back into the bedroom. A SCHOOL BELL rings and Vicki looks out the window. She sees the children running into school. She looks back in the direction Walter left. INT. VICKI'S CAR - DAY Vicki and Walter ride in the car. Vicki glances at Walter. He stares ahead, then leans his head back and closes his eyes... INT. BUS - DAY ...Walter rides, head back, eyes closed. The bus comes to a stop and a couple of passengers get on. Walter opens his eyes. The girl with binoculars comes to sit in the seat ahead of Walter. Walter stares at the girl. The bus pulls up to another stop -- it is Walter's. The doors to the bus open. Walter looks at the doors, he does not move. The doors close. He looks back at the girl. The bus drives on. EXT. BUS-STOP - DAY The bus comes to a stop. The girl gets off amongst a couple of passengers. Walter follows. EXT. PARK - DAY Walter walks down a path that opens onto a secluded little field surrounded by trees. The girl stands in the middle of the field looking at the sky through her binoculars. She turns slowly, scanning the trees. She spots Walter and lowers the binoculars. GIRL Hello. Walter is silent. He looks up at the trees. GIRL What are you looking at? WALTER Birds. GIRL (indifferently) There's a million birds here. WALTER In that birch tree is a nest. GIRL'S VOICE (interested) Where? WALTER (pointing) Up there. She looks through her binoculars. Walter stares at her. WALTER A little higher. She points her binoculars up. Walter walks towards her. GIRL There's little chicks! (turns to Walter) You want to see? WALTER Sure. She hands him her binoculars. He looks through them. GIRL They're starlings. WALTER (continues looking) Is that right? GIRL I don't like starlings. WALTER Why not? GIRL They're extremely aggressive birds. Plus, their habits are rather filthy. WALTER The mother sure has her hands full. He hands her back the binoculars. WALTER You always carry these? GIRL When I go bird-watching. It's why I like coming here. WALTER It's just a city park. GIRL You'd be surprised how many kinds of birds you'll see here. Last week I saw a purple martin. And the week before that, I saw a solitary vireo. That's rare. WALTER A solitary vireo. I like that one. GIRL Their sound is quite musical. WALTER How does it sound? GIRL It's hard to describe. WALTER Try. GIRL I can't. WALTER I bet you can. She shakes her head. WALTER I'd love to hear it. GIRL (pause) It's a bright sound. She closes her eyes and pipes a little tune. GIRL Cheery! Cheerily! Cheery! Cheerily! She opens her eyes, shyly. GIRL Something like that. WALTER That was terrific. GIRL You should hear the bird. WALTER You live around here? GIRL (pause) Not too far. (she looks at him) Are you a bird-watcher too? WALTER Me? Nah. I'm more of a people watcher. GIRL Were you watching me? WALTER (pause) Not at first. You would stare at the tops of the trees so intently. Any second I thought you would take off and fly. GIRL I have to go. WALTER Do you come here often? GIRL My daddy likes me home before dark. WALTER It's good to listen to your daddy. The girl runs off down the path. Walter watches after her. He stands alone in the field. INT. BUS - DAY Walter rides the bus. Through many different neighborhoods, day passes into night. He stares beyond his reflection. Over the following voice-over we cut between Walter's apartment and Walter riding the bus. WALTER (V.O.) I followed a girl. INT. WALTER'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Walter sits at his window, writing in his journal, fast. WALTER (V.O.) I talked to a girl... I was near a girl... Jesus God! What did I want to happen? INT. BUS - NIGHT The bus drives by a number of billboards, children's Gap ads... WALTER (V.O.) Maybe it's like Rosen said. Maybe I wanted nothing to happen. INT. WALTER'S APT. - NIGHT Walter pauses in the writing. WALTER (out loud) Fucking Rosen! This isn't helping. There's a loud KNOCK at the door. Walter looks over in surprise. The KNOCK comes again. Walter quickly closes his journal and puts it in a drawer. The KNOCK comes again. Walter goes to the door and opens it partially. Sergeant Lucas stands outside. LUCAS Hiya, Walter. Walter opens the door. Lucas enters. Walter slowly closes the door behind him. WALTER What can I do for you, Sergeant Lucas? Lucas signals a chair. LUCAS Have a seat. Walter slowly sits. Lucas walks around the room. He pauses. LUCAS Too much sun. WALTER What? Lucas points to the plant on the windowsill. LUCAS Your ivy. Too much direct sunlight. These plants don't like a lot of sun. WALTER They grow outside, don't they? LUCAS Sure they do. But outside they've got trees around them. The trees shade them from the sun. Of course, the plants enrich the soil around the trees. One of nature's symbiotic relationships. WALTER You going to take me on a nature walk? LUCAS Don't be witty. (pause) Yesterday you took the number twelve bus from work, but instead of getting off at your normal stop, for some reason you stayed on. Why did you stay on the bus, Walter? WALTER I fell asleep. Lucas throws him a look. WALTER When I woke up I was confused. I got off at the wrong stop and walked home. Lucas looks at the bus map on the wall. LUCAS You walked home. WALTER Yes. Lucas spits his gum into the garbage can and sits down across from Walter. LUCAS Some of these guys... They walk right into a family's home as if they live there. Very fucking ballsy. Walter is silent. LUCAS This one guy on death row, who I'll call Henry, told me about his last victim. Henry says how he's in the bedroom of a seven-year-old cutie named Adele. Her mother's in the living room watching TV. She's got the volume on so damn high he can hear David Letterman's jokes. Henry puts his hand over Adele's mouth and says, "If you scream, little girl, I'll kill your mother." And of course little Adele doesn't scream, doesn't cry, doesn't make a sound. Then he takes her hand and out they go through the front door. (pause) Ten days later they find Adele's body. Or what's left of it. (looks at Walter) You believe in fairy tales? WALTER Fairy tales? LUCAS Do you believe in them? WALTER No. LUCAS Neither do I. What's the one with the woodsman? WALTER Woodsman? LUCAS The one with the ax? WALTER I don't know. LUCAS Sure you do. He cuts open the wolf's stomach, and the girl steps out alive. WALTER Little Red Riding Hood. LUCAS That's it. Little Red Riding Hood jumps out of the wolf's guts with hardly a scratch. (pause) Ever see a seven-year-old girl sodomized almost in half? Walter shakes his head. LUCAS She looked so small and broken. I saw hardened twenty-year veterans cry. They cried like babies. I was there. Ain't no fucking woodsman in this world. Lucas takes out a fresh piece of gum and pops it in his mouth. Then he rises. WALTER You knew her? LUCAS What? WALTER The girl. Lucas stares coldly at Walter, his face red. He looks dangerous. LUCAS (seething) I don't know why they keep letting scum like you return to the streets. It just means we've got to catch you all over again. He slaps Walter on the back of the head... LUCAS See ya, Walter. ...and exits. Walter rushes to the blinds, drawing them down, then scrambles to get his journal from the drawer. He drops to his knees, tearing the pages from his journal, tearing them to bits. WALTER You have no right to talk to... to speak like... I am not!... I am not! The SOUND of children fades in, and Walter looks up. In the bedroom doorway is the girl in her white nightgown, sitting on the red ball, rocking back and forth, her chin in her hands. GIRL Wallie, what are you doing? Walter squeezes his eyes shut and clamps his hands over his ears. The sound abruptly stops. INT. BUS - MORNING Walter rides the bus. He is unshaven and looks exhausted. He is jostled by the crowds but seems oblivious. INT. WAREHOUSE - MORNING As Walter walks into the warehouse, men step out of the way and give him leering looks. Walter walks into -- INT. WAREHOUSE LOCKER ROOM - DAY -- the locker room. A hush suddenly falls over the room. Walter looks around. No one will meet his eyes. He opens his locker and a piece of paper slides out. It is a Xerox of the police notification information of Walter printed from the Internet. Walter stares at the paper. Suddenly something slams next to his head. A piece of metal clangs to the floor. Walter turns around. Pedro stares at him, surrounded by a number of men. Vicki stands in front of her locker holding the flyer. She looks scared. She glances at the men then walks over to Walter. VICKI (quiet) Come on, let's get out of here. Walter doesn't move. PEDRO Don't tell me you feel sorry for this sick fuck. VICKI Mind your own business, Pedro! Vicki looks defiantly at the men. Bob hurries in, followed by a worker. BOB What the hell is going on here?! He's handed a flyer. He looks it over and turns red. He looks at Walter then the men. BOB Who did this? Mary-Kay stands quietly in the back of the room, a look of satisfaction on her face. Vicki looks at her. Mary-Kay turns and sees Vicki's glare. She quickly looks away. No one answers. Bob looks at the men for a long moment then at Walter. BOB Any man who can't deal with it can see me in my office. I'll pay you for a week, and you can clear out. Bob crumples the paper in his hand. BOB We've got a hell of a lot of orders today. Get to work. Bob turns and walks away. The men are stunned. Three angrily follow after Bob. As does Mary-Kay. Walter walks off without saying anything, his expression blank. INT. WAREHOUSE - DAY Walter works at his station. He pauses, staring at the cutting blade whirling before him. He looks up around him. After a long moment, he turns the machine off and walks away. INT. WAREHOUSE - LATER Vicki looks up from where she is working and notices Walter's place is empty. She looks around. INT. WAREHOUSE OFFICE - DAY Vicki enters. Mary-Kay sits at her desk, typing. VICKI Have you seen Walter? MARY-KAY (big fake smile) Lovers' quarrel? Vicki picks up Mary-Kay's mug and pours coffee on her lap. Mary-Kay shrieks and stands up. Vicki tears through Mary-Kay's drawers throwing contents to the floor. MARY-KAY What the hell are you doing? Bob walks in. BOB What the hell is going on? Vicki pulls out a handful of the notification fliers. MARY-KAY People have the right to know. VICKI If she's here tomorrow, I'll fucking kill her. Vicki throws the papers at Bob and storms out. Bob looks at Mary-Kay. EXT. WAREHOUSE - DAY Vicki quickly crosses the parking lot to her Jeep, putting her coat on as she goes. INT. BUS - DAY Walter rides the bus, watching the landscape go by, his expression stony. EXT. WALTER'S APT. - DAY Vicki pulls her Jeep into the parking lot and screeches to a stop. She races up the stairs and knocks on Walter's door. No answer. She knocks again. No answer. VICKI Shit. She disappears back down the stairs. INT. WALTER'S APT. - DAY The door opens. Vicki enters and turns to the superintendent standing in the doorway. VICKI Thanks again. I promised I'd take care of his plants. The super shrugs and heads back down the stairs. Vicki closes the door and turns around. The place is a mess, the blinds drawn. She turns on the lights. There is no sign of Walter. She sees the journal scattered on the floor and leafs through the pieces. The image of the girl with red marker is stuck inside. VICKI Shit. She picks up a couple pieces of paper and scans them, then she puts the pieces together. Walter's words are scrawled across the paper. Her hands start to shake. INT. BUS - DAY The bus pulls to a stop. Walter gets off. EXT. PARK - DAY Walter walks down park path. A jogger runs by, but otherwise it is quiet. INT. WALTER'S APT. - DAY Vicki frantically gathers pieces of the journal and stuffs them in a plastic bag. Her face is flushed. She stands up and stuffs the bag in the garbage then pauses, staring at the garbage can. She opens the can, grabs the bag, quickly looks around the apartment. There is the sound of the school bell outside. She rushes to the window and raises the blinds. Children pour out of the school. She quickly leaves. EXT. PARK - DAY Walter sits on a park bench in the same little field where he had encountered the girl before. He is alone. He sits still. He looks up at the trees. INT. VICKI'S CAR - DAY Vicki drives, the bag on the passenger seat. She comes to a stop light and looks in the rear view mirror. A cop car pulls up behind her. Vicki reaches over for the bag and stuffs it under the seat. The light turns green. Vicki drives slowly. The cop changes lanes and passes her. She lets out her breath. EXT. STREETS MONTAGE - SAME TIME Vicki slowly drives by a series of parks, schools, malls -- searching. Children abound, playing, running free, getting off of school buses, running to meet their parents. There is no sign of Walter. EXT. PARK - DAY The girl walks into the clearing, wearing her binoculars around her neck. She stops when she sees Walter sitting on the bench. Walter continues staring at the trees. She walks over to him. GIRL See anything interesting? WALTER Not yet. The girl sits on the bench and pulls a small book from her backpack. She starts writing in it. Walter watches her. WALTER What are you writing in that book? GIRL It's my bird book. She shows it to him. GIRL I've identified sixty-seven species of birds this year alone. The girl writes in her book. Walter watches. WALTER Where are your friends? She continues writing ignoring his question. WALTER Don't you have friends? GIRL I have friends. WALTER A pretty girl like you should have a lot of friends. GIRL I'm not pretty. WALTER Well... not in the common way. She looks at Walter. GIRL What does that mean? WALTER It means uncommon beauty is commonly overlooked. Most people only notice birds with the brightest colors. The girl sits silently. WALTER What's your name? She picks up her binoculars and peers through them. WALTER Linda... Susan... Jennifer... Jackie.. She continues looking, but she smiles. WALTER You tell me your name, I'll tell you mine. GIRL (pause) Robin. Walter laughs. ROBIN Yeah, like the bird. WALTER (pause) Can I ask how old you are? ROBIN I'm twelve. WALTER No you're not. ROBIN I will be in three months. (pause) I can't wait. I hate being eleven. It has to be the stupidest age in the world. She looks at Walter. ROBIN What's your name? Walter hesitates then shrugs. WALTER Walter. ROBIN Do you have many friends? WALTER No. ROBIN How come? WALTER A long time ago, I was sent far away. When they let me come back, all my friends were gone. ROBIN It sounds like you were banished. WALTER Banished... yeah. ROBIN Birds are my friends. That sounds egotistical, but they are. Birds know I watch them, but they don't mind because they like being watched... if they know you won't hurt them. WALTER Robin? ROBIN Yes? WALTER Would you like to sit on my lap? Robin looks at him. ROBIN What? WALTER Would you like to sit on my lap? ROBIN (pause) No thank you. WALTER Are you sure? ROBIN I'm sure. Thank you all the same. WALTER That's okay... doesn't matter. ROBIN (pause) Do you want me to sit on your lap? Walter looks at her. WALTER Yes. I would enjoy that. Robin shivers. WALTER Are you cold? She shakes her head. Walter slides closer and rubs her arms with his hands. WALTER You look cold. Robin is silent. WALTER I know a place in the park where only very small birds go. There are no people or dogs or ugly crows and pigeons. It's quiet except for the song of these tiny sparrowlike birds. Would you like me to take you there? ROBIN (pause) They sound like finches. WALTER They could be finches. I don't know. We should go before it gets dark. He stands up. WALTER Ready? Robin doesn't move. ROBIN My daddy lets me sit on his lap. WALTER Does he? ROBIN Yes. WALTER Do you like it when he asks you? She looks at him. ROBIN No. Her answer has a strange effect on Walter, as if for a moment he has lost his balance. Carefully, he sits down and stares at his hands. WALTER Why not? She is quiet. WALTER Are you two alone when he asks you? Still silent. WALTER Does he touch you? Robin looks through her binoculars. WALTER Does he say strange things? She scans the trees. WALTER Does he move his legs in a funny way? Robin drops her head and quietly sobs. Walter looks at her but makes no effort to comfort her. WALTER Have you told your mother? She shakes her head. WALTER Is there anyone at home you can talk to? She is quiet. WALTER Is there a teacher you like at school? She nods. WALTER What's her name? ROBIN Ms. Kramer. WALTER Tell Ms. Kramer what your daddy does. ROBIN I can't. WALTER Yes you can, Robin. Robin is silent. WALTER You said you couldn't make the sound of a solitary vireo. But you did. Beautifully. I heard you. ROBIN What will happen if I do? WALTER Someone will talk to your daddy. And then he'll stop doing those things... the things you don't like. Tears come to Robin's eyes again. ROBIN But will he... ? WALTER Your daddy will always love you. ROBIN How do you know? WALTER I know because... it's just something I know. ROBIN I don't want to hurt my daddy. WALTER Robin, listen to me. She looks at him. Walter struggles to find the words. WALTER At first he'll be upset... very upset. It's because he'll realize he's been a bad daddy. Then he'll try... He'll try very hard to be a good daddy... People will say stupid, ignorant things about your daddy. That will be hard for you... But one thing I know for sure, he'll always love you... always. There is a long moment of silence. ROBIN Walter? WALTER Yes? ROBIN Do you still want me to sit on your lap? Walter stares at her. ROBIN I will. Walter slides away from her. WALTER No. ROBIN I don't mind. WALTER You should go home. ROBIN Can't I stay a little longer? WALTER It's getting dark. Go home. ROBIN Will I see you again? Walter is silent. WALTER Go home, Robin. Robin gets up, goes over to Walter, and hugs him. Walter starts to put his arms around her but refrains. ROBIN Bye. She runs off. Walter looks out, numb. EXT. WALTER'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Walter approaches his building. The white Volvo sits parked across the street in front of the school. Walter walks a couple of more steps when the door to the Volvo opens. Walter freezes. Candy gets out of the car. As he turns, Walter no longer sees Candy but himself -- many years younger. Walter watches, fear and emotion coursing through his face. Young Walter leans back in and pulls the front seat forward, and a young girl emerges. Flash to the angel-faced boy getting out of the car. Candy pats him on the head. Walter sees young Walter pat the girl on the head. She runs off down the street. Walter races towards Candy. Candy tucks his shirt in, puts the seat back, and is about to get in the car when Walter calls out -- WALTER Hey! Candy whirls around. Walter smashes him in the face. Candy reels backwards hitting the car. Walter attacks Candy full force. As he punches flashes of young Walter appear, then Candy, then young Walter again. He pounds and pounds on Candy then finally pulls away. Candy sputters on the ground. Walter, breathing hard, stares at Candy. He looks at the blood on his hands, which shake uncontrollably. He slowly stands up and starts to back away. Candy rolls over and groans as he tries to raise himself. Walter turns, tucks his head down, and quickly walks away. INT. WALTER'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Walter stands in the living room. He looks down at the floor where the journal was and sees that nothing is there. He goes to his windows and lowers the blinds. EXT. VICKI'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Through the window we see Vicki sitting on her couch, biting her nail, staring off into space. The phone sits next to her. INT. WALTER'S BATHROOM - NIGHT Walter stands in the shower. He turns the water on and lets it run over him. Slowly, he begins to sob. INT. WALTER'S BEDROOM - NIGHT Walter stands at the bureau, cleaned up and dressed in fresh clothes. He looks up and stares at himself in the mirror. The sound of TRAFFIC fades in. EXT. CITY STREETS - NIGHT Walter walks down a city street with boarded up store fronts. The sidewalks are wet from a steady drizzle. Cars pass by on the wet pavement. As Walter walks, we intercut with a SERIES OF FLASHBACKS: A) EXT. SCHOOL - Walter looks at the blood on his hands then at Candy moaning on the ground. B) EXT. PARK - Robin stands in the middle of the field, binoculars held to her eyes, scanning the trees. C) EXTREME CLOSE-UP: Robin lowers the binoculars and stares us straight in the eye. EXT. CITY STREET - NIGHT Walter stands at an intersection. The lights play across his face. FLASHBACK D) EXT. COP CAR - NIGHT - Walter's face slams against a cop car. His hands are cuffed behind him, and he is roughly frisked. He tries to look back over his shoulder but his face is held down. E) EXT. PARK - Robin dances in circles in the fields, arms stretched out as if she is ready to fly. EXT. CITY STREET - NIGHT A car races by, and Walter walks along a busy street fast. The rain falls harder now. FLASHBACK F) EXT. HOUSE - NIGHT - Walter gets place in the back of the cop car. The cops get in the front seat. Walter looks out the window at his house as the car pulls away. Standing on the front steps, his wife turns away, carrying his daughter inside. A cop closes the door behind them. G) EXT. SCHOOL - Walter pounds and pounds on Candy. EXT. CITY STREET - NIGHT Walter crosses an old brick bridge that spans a river. FLASHBACK H) EXT. PARK - Robin twirls and twirls, then slowly dissolves into the girl with the red ball and white nightgown. The girl spins and spins, her dress fluttering in the wind. Slowly the girl fades away so the field is empty, except for a number of small birds fluttering around the ground. EXT. VICKI'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Walter stands outside Vicki's door. After a moment he knocks. The door opens to show Vicki. She stares at Walter. EXT./INT. VICKI'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Through the window we see Vicki sit down on the couch, and Walter sit on the coffee table, facing her. He starts to talk and takes her hand. She pulls it away. He continues to talk and takes her hand again, not letting her pull away. Trucks pass by over the wet pavement, rattling the windows. EXT. SCHOOLYARD - DAY The school is quiet, the playground empty. Swings sway listlessly in the breeze. EXT. WALTER'S APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY The old Chevy pulls into the parking lot. INT. WALTER'S APARTMENT - DAY Walter brings his duffel bag into his living room and sets it down next to a clothes hamper. Boxes are scattered about the space. There's a KNOCK on the door. WALTER It's open. The door opens and Lucas enters. Walter pauses. LUCAS Hi ya, Walter. Walter automatically sits down in the chair. WALTER What can I do for you, Sergeant Lucas? Lucas walks over to the window. LUCAS You don't know? WALTER Know what? LUCAS I'll be asking the questions. (pause) Last night, you hear anything unusual? Screams? Shouts? WALTER No. LUCAS A man was badly beaten across the street. You know anything about that? WALTER I was asleep. LUCAS (pause) I didn't say what time the assault occurred. WALTER You said last night. I went to bed pretty early. LUCAS The assault took place at approximately seven thirty. WALTER I went to bed around seven. Lucas gives him a look. WALTER I wasn't feeling well. LUCAS I could take you downtown. WALTER You could. It'd be a waste of your time, though. Walter starts folding his clothes and placing them in the duffle bag. LUCAS There was a boy there. Walter is silent. Lucas watches him closely. LUCAS He I.D.'d the assailant. The description matches you pretty well. WALTER I suppose if you're looking for a male between the ages of thirty and fifty, medium height, medium weight, medium build. Probably not too many men fit that bill. LUCAS Just give me a straight answer, Walter, cause the irony goes right over my head. Lucas walks around. Walter folds a shirt. LUCAS That's a nasty scratch on your neck. WALTER I have a passionate girlfriend. LUCAS What's with the boxes? WALTER You're a cop. Figure it out. LUCAS I'd say you're moving. WALTER It's a free country, isn't it? Lucas throws him a look. WALTER Just kidding. I'm moving in with my girlfriend. Lucas raises his brows then takes out a piece of gum. LUCAS The passionate one? WALTER Yes. LUCAS Then I'd say you're a lucky fellow. WALTER I count my blessings. LUCAS Well, I guess I'll be seeing you. Lucas pops the gum in his mouth and heads towards the door. Walter pauses in his folding. WALTER Think you'll catch this guy? Lucas turns. LUCAS Oh, yeah. We'll catch him. Unfortunately, the victim can't talk. In addition to his other injuries, his jaw is broken. Walter is silent. LUCAS However, we ran an I.D. on the victim. Turns out he's wanted in Pennsylvania. He raped a boy there. Lucas watches Walter who impassively unrolls and rolls the same pair of socks. LUCAS You sure you don't know nothing about this? WALTER 'Fraid not. Lucas looks at Walter for a moment. LUCAS Stay out of trouble, Walter. Cause I'll be watching you. He exits. Walter realizes he unrolled the socks. He tosses them in the duffel bag. INT. VICKI'S CAR - LATE AFTERNOON Vicki drives. Walter stares out the passenger window. The sun is low on the horizon. Walter wears a pressed button- down shirt. He is clean-shaven and his hair neatly combed. His hand fidgets in his lap. VICKI You okay? WALTER Yeah. VICKI Fucking liar. Vicki reaches for his hand, then something catches her eye. VICKI Hey, look. Walter follows her gaze. VICKI Starlings. On the horizon, a flock of starlings whirl and turn as if one huge body, a dancing cloud against the sky. WALTER I heard they were filthy birds. VICKI Not when they fly. Vicki looks at him and smiles. There is a long beat as they drive. I/E. VICKI'S CAR, RESERVOIR - DAY Vicki sits in her car smoking. She stubs out her cigarette. The ashtray is full. She looks out the window. Vicki's POV: Walter and a woman stand in the distance near the water. The woman looks a few years younger than Walter. There is space between them. Walter faces her, but she looks out at the water. After a long moment, he reaches to touch her arm. The woman pulls away and yells something at him. Walter's head drops. Vicki lights another cigarette. She flips on the radio to country music, blocking out all sound. She looks back out the window. The woman yells angrily then falls quiet -- staring at Walter. After a long moment, she turns and walks back up the hill to her car where Carlos waits, leaning against the car. Annette gets in the car, slamming the door. Carlos pauses, looking at Walter, then gets in the car and turns on the engine to leave. Walter stays standing near the water. WALTER (V.O.) I saw my sister. INT. ROSEN'S OFFICE Walter sits in his usual seat across from Rosen. WALTER It was hard. Rosen is silent. WALTER She's still really hurt... and angry. I don't know... if she will ever... forgive me. I understand that. I do. I just hope... I just want her to... ROSEN Accept you? Walter nods. ROSEN It's going to take time, Walter. WALTER (to himself) Time. ROSEN How do you feel about that? WALTER I feel... okay. Walter looks at Rosen who nods. There is a moment of silence between them. THE END