1

EXT. FRONT OF NORAS HOUSE- STREET- NIGHT

Empty street. All lights in the house appear to be off

except for one window.
2

INT. BATHROOM- HOUSE- NIGHT

A faucet drips, we hear as it hits the sink.

3

INT. PARENTS BEDROOM- HOUSE- NIGHT

Noras parents lay asleep, breathing and snoring softly.

4

INT. HALLWAY- HOUSE- NIGHT

A mechanical noise from an air conditioner buzzes and

clanks.
5

INT. BEDROOM- HOUSE- NIGHT

A ceiling fan whirs. NORA (age 13-16), lays silently awake

in her bed, staring straight up. She is still, but slightly
tense and exhausted looking- there are bags under her eyes
and her hair is unbrushed. As she lays, the noises in the
house slowly increase in volume, and are joined by a high
pitched noise. As the noises get louder, Nora becomes more
distressed, grimacing and shutting her eyes as if to ward
off everything around her. Her distress reaches its peak as
the sound does and she sits up suddenly- everything becomes
silent except for the sound of her heavy breathing. Nora
looks around to see the time, and a bedside clock reads
2:34. She sighs and runs her hands through her hair. She
begins to lay back down, but halts at the sound of a car
pulling up. Nora scrambles to look out the window, then
rushes to sling a backpack over her shoulder, and moves to
leave her room.
6

INT. HALLWAY- HOUSE- NIGHT

Nora marches grimly down the hall, very grim.

7

EXT. FRONT OF NORAS HOUSE- STREET- NIGHT

We follow her as she quietly closes the door behind her and
approaches a taxi, which is parked in front of the house.
8

INT. TAXI- NIGHT

THOMAS (age 50-60) resets the mile counter on the dashboard

and straightens the rearview mirror. Nora opens the car door
and slides into the seat, tossing her backpack next to her.

2.

THOMAS
Where to?
NORA
I dont know.
THOMAS
You know the address?
NORA
No.
THOMAS
You looking for an airport or train
station or something?
NORA
No. Can you just drive?
THOMAS
Fraid not.
Nora stays silent and stares out the window. She appears
absent.
THOMAS
Sorry miss, I cant leave until you
give me a destination.
She does not respond.
THOMAS
Your parents know youre out here?
Nora continues to stare out the window.
THOMAS
Youre paying by the minute, miss.
Ive got other clients to get to,
if you dont give me direction in
the next minutes Im going to have
to terminate this ride.
She still does not respond.
THOMAS
How about you call in a few hours
instead?
NORA
Ive got insomnia.

3.
THOMAS
Is that why youre out this time of
night?
NORA
Yes.
THOMAS
Dont you think you should try to
sleep then?
NORA
Insomnia means you cant sleep.
THOMAS
I know. Ive got it too.
NORA
Youve got the night shift. Youre
just on a different sleep schedule.
THOMAS
Exactly.
NORA
Not insomnia. Different sleep
schedule.
THOMAS
Whatever you say.
Silence as Nora continues to look out the window.
THOMAS
While youre choosing where to go,
why dont you grab some extra bags?
NORA
Not going back in the house.
THOMAS
Why not?
Nora shrugs. Thomas starts the car and begins to drive. For
the first time, Nora looks at him. Her brow is furrowed in
confusion, yet she is still vacant.
NORA
Where are we going?
THOMAS
You told me to drive.
Nora smiles a bit.

4.

EXT. FRONT OF CONVENIENCE STORE- NIGHT

Nora and Thomas sit on the curb in front of a gas station

convenience store. Thomas is eating (some snack or candy,
maybe even a 7/11 slushie), and Nora is smoking a cigarette.
Though we see them mid-conversation, it is evident that they
have not been very engaged with each other, and that they
had been speaking on and off.
THOMAS
Parents dont know, do they?
NORA
They wouldnt care.
THOMAS
Thats not true.
NORA
Youd be surprised.
THOMAS
(Agreeing) Hmm.
NORA
I get claustrophobic, I guess.
THOMAS
Dont like small spaces?
NORA
I dont mind small spaces, just
dontTHOMAS
So you feel restricted,
not claustrophobic.
NORA
It feels the same way.
THOMAS
How would you know? You dont mind
small spaces.
Nora lets a quiet short laugh of exasperation and mild
release to herself.
NORA
Ive been told how it feels.

5.

THOMAS
And Ive been told how it feels to
die.
NORA
What, you talked to dead people?
THOMAS
No.
NORA
No one knows what it feels like to
die until theyre dead. So whatever
source you were talking to didnt
know what they were talking about.
THOMAS
This guy nearly drowned, but they
took him to the hospital and gave
him electric shocks or something so
hed be able to live again. Id
qualify that as dying.
NORA
You didnt feel it first hand.
THOMAS
Its like your "claustrophobia," I
didnt have to.
NORA
No its not! You only heard about
that. Im stuck in a box made of...
of nothingness and I have to escape
somewhere now, so Im here.
THOMAS
Hah! See? There you go.
NORA
What?
THOMAS
Thats the most honest thing youve
said yet.
NORA
I dont know what youre talking
about.
THOMAS
Youre scared.

6.

NORA
I know.
THOMAS
You dont know where to go because
you dont know what you want.
NORA
Yes, I know.
THOMAS
You gotta know what you want before
you know where you want to go.
NORA
What if I dont?
THOMAS
Then you become a cab driver.
Nora still doesnt look at him, but beings to open up the
barrier between them- she lifts her head towards Thomas.
NORA
I wanna do something big.
She waits for a response, but none comes. He wont interrupt
what hes started.
NORA
Everyone else has. There are people
who go around the world and help
people or teach them about medicine
or quantum physics or life. My dad
does that.
THOMAS
Then so can you.
NORA
Doing stuff means you have to
abandon people.
THOMAS
Not necessarily, sometimes you can
go with them.
NORA
I dont go with my dad.
Thomas realizes what shes saying and why shes out here.
Nora looks a bit sad for once instead of blank.

7.

NORA
I wanna go home.
10

INT. TAXI- NIGHT

10

Thomas drives through the town, different lights from the

street moving on and off his face. He looks in the rearview
mirror to check on Nora, who is slumped over, asleep.
11

EXT. FRONT OF NORAS HOUSE- STREET- MORNING

11

NORAS DAD (40-50), opens the door to the taxi and lifts
Nora, still asleep, out. He is wearing a military uniform.
We never see his face. Thomas lifts his bags into the trunk.
Noras dad continues to walk towards the door.
12

INT. BEDROOM- HOUSE- MORNING

12

Noras dad gently places Nora into her bed. Still asleep,
she curls up and hugs a pillow to her chest. We hear the
sound of the taxi start up and drive away. There is a
calendar on Noras wall with several days marked off, and at
the end of the month, there is a big red circle over a date
that says "Dad goes to save the world!"