The Box by Gary O. Bennett
INT. NIGHT
Abigal and Barbara are in a close shot looking into the
camera’s lens. Their heads are close together because of the
tight space into which they are looking.
ABIGAIL
He doesn’t look the same.
BARBARA
That’s how he looks when he sleeps.
ABIGAIL
Does he snore? He looks like he would
snore? Do you ever try to guess whether
someone snores? How they look when they
sleep. Whether their mouth is open. I
knew someone whose eyes were open when
they slept. I would guess Bob snores.
BARBARA
Sometimes.
ABIGAIL
He’s quiet now.
BARBARA
Oh look.
ABIGAIL
What?
BARBARA
There’s blood coming out of his nose.
ABIGAIL
Yeah. Look at that.
BARBARA
Do you think we should wipe it up?
ABIGAIL
No.
BARBARA
To make him…I don’t know, decent.
ABIGAIL
He didn’t wipe up your blood.
BARBARA
I’m feeling sad.
ABIGAIL
You’re not regretting…
BARBARA
No. No. It’s just sad. He seems so
nice now.
ABIGAIL
Yeah. He’s never been nicer.
BARBARA
I think we should wipe it up. You know,
as one last gesture.
Abigail leaves the frame and returns quickly with a white
hand towel.
ABIGAIL
Here. You do it.
BARBARA
This is a new hand towel.
Abigail throws Barbara a look. Barbara then reaches toward
the lens and moves her hand briefly, then withdraws. We see
that the white hand towel has a red stain.
BARBARA
There.
ABIGAIL
Now his whole face is red.
BARBARA
There’s more blood than I thought.
ABIGAIL
He’s filled with blood, Barbara, and it’s
all coming out his nose.
BARBARA
I wonder why that is.
ABIGAIL
When you stabbed him in the heart, the
knife went through his lung, which is now
filling with blood, and traveling up his
esophagus and exiting from his nose.
It’s a simple matter of physics.
BARBARA
I was never good at physics.
Barbara looks at her watch.
BARBARA
Oh Christ. I’m going to be late for my
hair appointment.
ABIGAIL
You made a hair appointment on the day
you decided to get rid of your husband?
BARBARA
You said I shouldn’t change my routine,
that I should continue doing all things I
normally do. Every Thursday I do my
hair.
ABIGAIL
Well then maybe you could have scheduled
Bob on a day you didn’t have
appointments.
BARBARA
Abigail, he’s my husband, and I’ll
schedule him whenever I want.
Abigail is sniffing an odor.
ABIGAIL
He’s starting to smell. When’s Fed Ex
arriving?
BARBARA
Soon, I hope.
ABIGAIL
Are you sure they take such big packages?
BARBARA
That’s what the guy said.
ABIGAIL
Go get the masking tape.
Barbara leaves the frame. Abigail reaches toward the lens
and starts to close the cardboard top, which closes in on the
lens. Barbara returns with the tape.
BARBARA
Wait, I want to say goodbye.
The top opens. Barbara’s face filling the frame.
BARBARA
Sorry Bob. But don’t worry. You’re
packed up very nicely. And you’re taking
that trip to the orient like you always
wanted. It’s just not with me. I
know…there was a time long ago that you
loved me. And that is what I’ll try to
remember. Tootles.
Barbara closes the box top.
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