THE PERIPHERAL By Catherine McManus

Catherine McManus, 2013

15 East 32nd Street Savannah, GA 31401 508-826-1844

EXT. FRANK AND LISAS HOME - GARDEN - DAY LISA, late 20s, works outside at her garden. Around her, all of her flowers bloom. As the camera dollys around her back and to the other side of her, her appearance slowly changes.

FADE TO: 2 EXT. FRANK AND LISAS HOME - GARDEN - DAY 2

On her knees, she works, turning the soil, attempting to get flowers to grow, but they are all dead. Nothing grows. Every leaf and every steam is brown and malnourished. Lisa leans back on her knees examining her work, but shes not pleased - shes saddened, even frustrated about the look of the garden. Weakly, she throws the tiny shovel in front of her and takes a deep breath. Lisa stands up and has one last look at the garden, then wipes sweat from her face. As her hand grazes a bruise on her face, she winces. 3 INT. FRANK AND LISAS HOME - KITCHEN - DAY Lisa does dishes at the sink, busy scrubbing dirty plates and cups. She seems lost in thought - not noticing anything going on around her. Then a mans arms grab her from around the waist, frightening her - its FRANK,40s - her husband. Startled, Lisa jumps a bit and drops the dishes - creating a splash. He rests his head on the nook of her neck and shoulder then kisses her. Lisa then smiles and turns around, still in his hold. LISA You know I hate when you do that. 3

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FRANK Im sorry. They both smile. LISA No youre not. He kisses her and she wraps her arms around him, kissing him back. 4 INT. FRANK AND LISAS HOME - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Lisa, and Frank verbally argue. Each of them yell over the other - their voices drowned out. Frank moves closer to Lisa, his finger pointed right in her face as her much smaller frame moves away from him. She moves back from his pointed hand, but he continues to move closer, still. Lisa hits her husbands hand away from her face, but he moves it right back. She hits his hand away again, this time more forcefully. A look of fear comes upon her face. Then from almost out of nowhere A mans open hand comes down hitting Lisa in the face. She stumbles to the right and grabs her cheek. She looks at her husband in shock astonishment - did that really just happen? Lisa examines Frank - he gives her an apologetic glance. She looks at Frank and marches right past him toward the front door. But Frank grabs her arm. She tries to shake him off, but he pulls her back into him - hugging her tightly - remorse fills his face. Lisa reciprocates hug, crying - forgiving her husband for his awful actions. Then something off screen catches her eye - LISA TWO. Its Lisa, but much different. She watches as the Frank and Lisa embrace - anything but happy. 4

3. 5 INT. FRANK AND LISAS HOME - BATHROOM - DAY Lisa splashes water on her face and touches her now healing bruise. Then Lisa Two appears behind Lisa. Lisa Two looks exactly like Lisa, except she is unbruised, more put together, confident - she radiates everything Lisa does not. Lisa studies her for a moment, and then turns to face her, but shes gone - nowhere to be found. She turns back to the mirror and reaches for cover up. 6 INT. FRANK AND LISAS HOME - KITCHEN On the kitchen table, Lisa chops an assortment of vegetables, and places them in a stew on the stove. With a spoon she stirs the soup and tastes it. In the distance, sitting down at the kitchen table, Lisa Two watches as Lisa prepares dinner. 7 EXT. FRANK AND LISAS HOME - DAY Frank drives an old jalopy into his driveway. He turns off the ignition and comes out of the car, briefcase in hand. As we walks to the house, he stops as he notices the mess that is Lisas garden. An unhappy Frank then continues on his way. 8 INT. FRANK AND LISAS HOME - KITCHEN - DAY - CONTINUOUS Lisa Two greets Frank at the door. She gives him a kiss, happy that hes home. In an ECU her hand reaches down and grabs his briefcase from his hand. When we see her again, she has now transitioned to Lisa. LISA How was your day? Did everything Its like Frank havent even heard her. 8 7 6 5

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FRANK Grab me a beer, would ya? She watches as Frank sits down in the living room and takes a deep breath. LISA Of course. Lisa places his bag down and heads for the fridge. She opens the fridge, and bends down to get the drink. When she pops up, she is now Lisa Two. Confidently, Lisa Two makes her way to Frank. 9 INT. FRANK AND LISAS HOME - LIVING ROOM - DAY - CONTINUOUS 9 Lisa Two hands Frank the beer from behind him, leaning over and touching his chest. Franks hand grabs the beer from her in an ECU. Lisa simply looks at Frank for a moment - he pays her not attention, and she walks away. 10 INT. FRANK AND LISAS HOME - KITCHEN - DAY - CONTINUOUS 10

As Lisa walks into the kitchen, Lisa Two is sitting down at the table watching her. Lisa does not see her and continues to make dinner. 11 INT. FRANK AND LISAS HOME - NIGHT Lisa puts dinner on the table in front of her husband and then kisses his forehead. She sits directly across from Frank and smiles. Lisa watches as Frank sips his soup then does so herself. LISA How was your day? Frank takes another sip of his soup then pushes it away from him. It spills all over the table. Lisa Two is now sitting at the table between the two, watching. 11

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As Lisa gets up to clean the split food, she notices Lisa Two. FRANK Whats that mess out front? Lisa looks back to Frank and then begins to clean up the spilt food. LISA The what? Frank looks up at her. FRANK All of your dying flowers. LISA Ive been trying to clean it up, but FRANK You wanna clean something up? Frank swipes the dinner table nearly clean, spilling food and shattering the dishes. FRANK (CONT.) Try cleaning this. Lisa backs away as Frank angrily kicks back his chair. Walking backwards, Lisa hits the wall, and its not long before Frank gets there. LISA Frank, baby. Please. Its no good, he hits her in the face. 12 INT. FRANK AND LISAS HOME - KITCHEN - NIGHT A womans hand grabs the knife Lisa was cutting vegetables with. 13 INT. FRANK AND LISAS HOME - NIGHT Lisa looks at her husband, pleading. She touches his face. 13 12

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LISA I love you, Im sorry. Please Franks knocks her hand away and then hits her again. 14 INT. FRANK AND LISAS HOME - KITCHEN - NIGHT The knife is grasped tightly in a womans hand now moving quickly. 15 INT. FRANK AND LISAS HOME - NIGHT Frank hits Lisa again and again until Frank tenses up, begins to walk unsteadily away from Lisa. Lisa Two now stands where Frank stood, holding a bloodied knife in her hand. The man falls to the floor, not moving. Lisa looks over at Lisa 2, completely horrified. LISA What have you done? Lisa crawls over to him. She touches his chest for a moment, then retracts her hand. Frank doesnt move. She moves closer, and begins shaking him. Hes dead. Lisa is panicking. She gently touches his face and begins crying. Lisa Twos feet move into frame, and Lisa looks up, now cradling her dead husbands body. Lisa Two looks down at the body, smiles, and then looks at Lisa. 15 14

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EXT. FRANK AND LISAS HOME - NIGHT The two Lisas carry the body out of the house, and to the garden, struggling the entire way.

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They drop Franks body on the ground, and then look at each other. Lisa looks at Lisa Two - wondering what to do. Lisa Two nods toward the garden where there is a shovel shoved into the ground. Lisa shakes her head in disapproval. She wont do it. Lisa Two picks up the shovel and brings it to Lisa. Scared, unhappy, and mourning for her dead husband, Lisa begins digging the grave - crying. Lisa Two watches. 17 EXT. FRANK AND LISAS HOME - NIGHT - LATER Both Lisas push Franks body into the ground. They look at each other - Lisa Two, satisfied, and Lisa surprised. Without being asked, Lisa immediately begins to bury Frank. 18 EXT. FRANK AND LISAS HOME - DAY - WEEKS LATER 18 17

Lisa is at her garden tending to her flowers - which are now green and ripe with life like they were the first time we saw them. She looks well and lively - confident, healthy, unbruised. Lisa leans back on her knees and examines her work. She smiles, happy. Her flowers have now blossomed.