Resolutions By FivePagesADay

Poormans Copyright - 2014

fivepagesaday@gmail.com

FADE IN: INT. BEDROOM - DAY The showers running OS. The spraying of porcelain echoes through the apartment, no other sound. PAN through the room - neat, orderly. Obsessively so. CRINK - The showerhead shuts off. SLOW ZOOM into a calendar on the far side of the room. A towel being removed from a hook, the shower curtain opening, the shower curtain closing - the SOUNDS of mundanity continue until we reach the calendar - JANUARY 1st 2014. PAN down, revealing a notepad on the desk. Just one word. "RESOLUTIONS" A leather-banded watch resides next to the notepad. CUT TO: INT. CALL CENTER - DAY The watch, strapped, to a skinny white wrist, TICKS. HAROLD HETTICHER, the owner of said wrist, stares intently into his computer screen. He selects a waiting call from his queue. HAROLD (PHONE VOICE) Hello, this is Harold. Thank you for calling Citizen. How can we help you today? Silence as the customer answers. HAROLD(CONTD) Sure sir, Ill just need the model number of your timepiece. You can usually find this on the backplate of the watch face. PULL BACK to reveal dozens, not hundreds, of reps fielding calls. CUT TO:

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EXT. TIMES SQUARE - NIGHT Harold walks quickly through Times Square. He takes in the post-apocalyptic look that the previous nights revelry has bestowed upon his surroundings. Its buzzing with tourists, constantly stopping for pictures, clogging up the wide sidewalks. Harold does his best to navigate quickly through the crowd while minimizing his physical contact with others. INT. DINER - NIGHT A cute waitress, JANE by the nametag, approaches Harold, who dines alone. She stuffs the gum into her cheek before speaking. JANE Happy New Year Harry. HAROLD Feels a little like last year to me. Jane smiles, which forces a bit of a grin on Harold as well. JANE Starting it out with something fresh this year? Harold shakes his head "no." JANE(CONTD) Then a turkey club on whites coming right up. Jane walks away, FLIPPING her waitress pad and tucking it into her apron. ECU - WATCH 6:31 TICKS to 6:32 TICKS to 6:35 TICKS to 6:38. END CU Jane approaches with the sandwich and sets it down. HAROLD Thanks.

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JANE So if its not food, whats your resolution? Harold pauses for a second. HAROLD None yet. Still working on it. Any suggestions? JANE Yeah. Cut down on the coffee. Youre a little jittery. HAROLD Thats not a bad one. (beat) What about you? Jane starts chomping her gum. JANE Well I got a date late tonight, just drinks. Hes picking me up at ten-fifteen so my "in bed by twelve-thirty" might be in jeopardy. Jane takes Harolds full cup of coffee away and repeats her friendly retreat as Harold bites into his sandwich. CUT TO: EXT. SUBWAY YARD - NIGHT Harold watches the cars, mostly still. Some move slowly, linking up to form bonafide people-movers. Most are still, lit half by moon, half by streetlamp style lights. Harold checks his watch - 9:30 - and yawns. He blinks three times, each heavier than the last, then succumbs to a full-on eye closing. CUT TO: EXT. SUBWAY YARD - NIGHT - LATER Harold startles himself awake. He checks his watch - 10:30. He quickly stands and RUNS out of frame. CUT TO:

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INT. SUBWAY - NIGHT Harold rides the subway, surrounded by locals with a smattering of foriegn tourists. He checks his watch again 10:42. He looks around anxiously, eying the strangers. CUT TO: EXT. STREET - NIGHT Harold sits on a bench, anxiously tapping his fingers on the cold metal. 10:50. He stairs at a three story apartment house. He focuses on the top floor. No lights, no nothing. Harold looks concerned. He gives the watch a dirty look. CUT TO: EXT. STREET - NIGHT - LATER 11:16. TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP. CUT TO: EXT. STREET - NIGHT - LATER 11:40. A cab pulls up in front of the house. JANE gets out one side, a MAN getting out the other. Harold frowns a bit. From afar, Harold watches the man walk Jane to the top of her steps. Theres a cold energy between the two, no hand-holding, little eye contact. Upon reaching the top of the steps, the man tries to convince Jane to let him upstairs, his hands points and flailing in desperation. Jane asserts "NO" repeatedly. Harolds expression sterns, his hand now wrapped tightly around the steel bench. The man GRABS Janes arm, which she YANKS back, but he doubles down and grabs both arms. Jane SCREAMS. Harold gets up and runs toward the steps, anger pulsing through his body like a volatile fuel mixture.

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Jane keeps SCREAMING. Harold takes the steps two at time, draws his coffee thermos from his backpack, reaches the man and delivers a MASSIVE BLOW to the head of the attacker, who crumples like tissue paper. JANE Harry? She holds out her arms in surprise, tear stains on her cheeks, bruises becoming visible on her wrists from the struggle. JANE(CONTD) Harry what the hell are you doing here? Harold balks. HAROLD Just passing by. A wild silence. The attacker starts to moan, regaining consciousness. Harold picks up his bloodied thermos, and runs down the steps and away from the house. Jane dials her phone - 911. CUT TO: INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT Harold returns to his apartment. He tosses his bloodied thermos into the sink haphazardly. After discarding the backpack in the middle of the room, he walks to his desk. Theres a newly-found fire ignited in his eyes. He scrawls on his notepad OS. Pan down and twist to reveal the notepad. "RESOLUTIONS" "Time is what you make of it." FADE OUT