The Time Together

EXT. MODERNIST HOUSE - DAY

The rain and thunder is generous. It spills upon a
minimalist house that sits atop a hill.
INT. MODERN HOUSE - DAY
The rain trickles down the windows. An OLD OLIVER is
spending time with his children MICHAEL and NATALIE who are
in their late teens. The two of them are swiping through old
photos of their grandfather on tablets whilst he busies
himself by tinkering with a vintage curio.
NATALIE
Look at you here. You dont even
look that different.
She shows the tablet to Oliver. He rests the old gadget down
and his eyes glint through his glasses as his gaze falls
onto a younger version of himself and MAISIE. Theyre at a
party of sorts.
OLIVER
Now that was... New Years Eve 2017.
He takes the tablet and looks upon the picture with a
thoughtful look on his face. Natalie and Michael are looking
at their grandfather, however he swipes the image onto the
wall in front of them.
OLIVER
Thats Maisie Haynes.
He focuses on a picture of a younger version of himself and
Maisie.
CUT TO:
INT. HOUSE PARTY - NIGHT
The picture we were looking at has just been taken; Oliver
and Maisie look at the picture and they talk afterward.
OLIVER
Wow I am a hunk.
MAISIE
You think?
She laughs as the Photographer moves away. Oliver laughs
then takes a sip of his drink, DAN comes over, he passes a
drink to Maisie.

2.

DAN
Maisie take this.
MAISIE
Oh, thanks.
She turns to Oliver whilst taking a sip.
MAISIE
Hes defo spiked this.
Oliver laughs as Dan shouts:
DAN
(to everyone)
Oi everyone come in here for the
countdown!
Everyone perks up and others pile inside to watch the clock
countdown for the new year on the TV.
EVERYONE
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5...
Maisie is moved away from Oliver by the swarm but they smile
at each other. Maisie waves at him jokily.
EVERYONE
4, 3, 2, 1! HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Oliver smiles and shakes hands and hugs those around him,
but then looks over to Maisie again - their eyes meet.
CUT TO:
MONTAGE BEGINS:
-Oliver and Maisie walk down a road together.
-They marvel at the sky at night.
OLD OLIVER (O.S.)
You two are going to have times
like that one day.
-They watch a film in the cinema, only Oliver finds it hard
not take glances of her.
OLD OLIVER (O.S.)
Itll be as if youre in a bubble.
-The two sit in a cafe, laughing together.

3.

OLD OLIVER (O.S.)

And in it youll meet people that
even when youre walking in the
cold, youll still be warm.
-His perspective of - her eyes, smile, hair...
OLD OLIVER (O.S.)
Just treat those times as such. Be
gentle, because inevitably, bubbles
pop.
-Oliver and Maisie walk down a road together only this time
theyre holding hands and theyre walking away from us.
FADE TO:
BLACK
FADE UP TO:
BLACK TITLE CARD WITH BLACK TEXT:
The Time Together
FADE TO:
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT
Oliver is attaching components to a machine. It looks
complex, and there are some blue prints drawn out on some
paper that sits on the desk beside him. A projector
illuminates a load of code on the wall.
He works away and a few hours pass by.
Suddenly, papers fly everywhere, lights flicker. A black
sphere pops into existence and makes garbling noises, the
light surrounding it looks as though it were going down a
drain. Oliver isnt frightened but he watches it with
intrigue.
It spits out a folded up piece of paper and then implodes.
Oliver reluctantly picks up the note and starts to unfold
it. It reads: "You get it to work."
Oliver frowns, looks into the distance as he thinks, then
gets back to work with his machine.
TIMELAPSE.

4.

After hes finished making some changes, he presses in some

information onto his computer.
Oliver waits for something to happen...
A similar type of dark matter grows above the machine. He
folds up the piece of paper and throws it into the sphere.
Then the matter shrinks from view. Hes left amazed by the
paradox. He snaps out of his trance when a text from Maisie
comes onto his screen: Come mine tomorrow?x
CUT TO:
EXT. ROAD - DAY
Oliver has his earphones in as he walks down the street with
a slight spring in his step.
OLIVER (PRE-LAP)
If Im honest, I really do like you
though.
He turns a corner.
INT. KITCHEN - DAY
Oliver is leaning against the kitchen counter, and Maisie is
looking into the garden.
OLIVER
Ive never felt anything like this.
Its scary.
Oliver turns to see her looking outside. She turns around.
MAISIE
I still havent. Sorry.
Oliver dwells in the awkward silence, Maisie leaves the
room.
CUT TO:
EXT. MAISIES HOUSE - DUSK
She shuts the door and Oliver is outside, rejected.

5.

OLIVER
Shit.
He gets walking.
EXT. ROAD - DUSK
Oliver walks down the street alone.
He stops in his tracks, looks up as he realizes, and then
continues walking.
CUT TO:
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT
He jogs into his room.
Oliver jabs information into his computer and a signal
starts to blip on his screen as well as audibly. The
projector shows that hes going back in time by about 4
hours. The machine begins to produce a large amount of this
black matter that morphs into the shape of a malleable
sphere.
It wobbles and groans and grows to the point that when
Oliver stands up, he and it are the same size. He braces
himself and steps inside, it shakes violently, disappears
and he is gone.
CUT TO:
EXT. ROAD - DAY
Past Oliver is walking down the road with his earphones in,
not aware of what is to come.
Suddenly, the black matter expands into existence in the
middle of the road. Past Oliver suddenly seems concerned.
A hand reaches out from the bulbous blackness. Past Oliver
is in awe, as he sees himself walk out before him. The
matter shudders behind him then dissapears.
Past Oliver removes his earphones.
PAST OLIVER
What happened?

6.

OLIVER
You feel pretty good at the moment
dont you?
PAST OLIVER
Yeah, why?
OLIVER
If you feel like telling Maisie how
much you like her tonight then
dont. Youll just scare her off.
Weve got a good thing going, just
go with the flow.
Past Oliver nods.
PAST OLIVER
Did we break up?
Oliver goes to say something, but his arm begins to fade
away.
OLIVER
Just make her laugh. Apart from
that keep your mouth shut. Prick.
Oliver fades away. All thats left is Past Oliver, standing
awkwardly.
CUT TO:
INT. MAISIES FRONT DOOR - DAY
Maisie opens the door revealing a smiling Oliver.
OLIVER
Hey.
MAISIE
(playfully)
Argh!
She jumps on him.
CUT TO:

7.

INT. LOUNGE - NIGHT

Oliver has his arm over Maisie as they watch TV on the sofa.
Hes still thinking about what happened, but seems relived
after he looks at Maisie. Theyre eating popcorn.
MAISIE
Are you staying here tonight?
OLIVER
Yeah course I am.
Maisie laughs as much as someone who is very tired can do.
MAISIE
Good.
Oliver is content, he strains to reach for the popcorn and
it all topples onto the floor, causing chuckles.
FADE TO:
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT
The date on the projector is December 23rd 2018.
Oliver is buttoning up his shirt, he gets a call on his
phone, it comes up on his projector.
COMPUTER
Oliver Maisies ringing you, should
I answer?
OLIVER
Yeah please.
A green phone logo wipes across the screen revealing
Maisies name.
OLIVER
Hey you alright?
MAISIE
Hiya, yeah Im fine thanks, are
you?
OLIVER
Yeah Im sweet, Ill be there for
nine still.

8.

MAISIE
Okay, right well Im on my way now
so Ill see you soon.
OLIVER
Okay sugar.
She laughs a bit.
MAISIE
I love you.
Oliver seems as though he hasnt heard her say this before
but he says it back truthfully:
OLIVER
I love you too.
The call ends and the projectors interface turns red,
turning the room rosy red.
Oliver stops and acknowledges how hes feeling.
OLD OLIVER (O.S.)
Its important to dwell in moments
like that.
Dust floats in front of the projector.
He closes his eyes.
OLD OLIVER (O.S.)
Therell only be a few times in
your life where youll feel the
need to, but when everythings just
right, make sure to just pause, and
breathe it in.
Oliver opens his eyes then gets moving steadily.
CUT TO:
INT. TRAIN - NIGHT
Oliver sits on a train, and watches the world go by outside.
CUT TO:

9.

INT. TRAIN/TRAIN STATION - NIGHT

Oliver gets off the train and makes his way to meet Maisie.
EXT. CITY STREET - NIGHT
Oliver is waiting outside of a coffee shop. He checks his
phone, its 9 o clock, so he calls Maisie.
Theres no answer.
He seems concerned. Oliver begins walking up a road, but
then begins to jog a little.
He calls again but theres no answer again.
Once he comes around a corner, he sees a car in the middle
of the road and comes to a halt. It is surrounded by
clubbers. Oliver walks forward.
Someone is lay in front of the car.
He begins running forward, and tries to make his way
through.
OLIVER
Let me through. Let me through!
They let him. He kneels down.
OLIVER
(whimpering)
No. Maisie
Oliver rests his hand on her head, tears coming down his
cheek. Onlookers are upset.
Shes pale, her eyes are open but shes gone.
Oliver screams through gritted teeth but then tries to calm
himself, he wipes his eyes.
The driver of the car cries by the side of the road as well
as a friend comforts them.
Oliver looks to them but knows that its not their fault, he
turns back to Maisie.
OLIVER
Im sorry.

10.

He shuts his eyes as he holds her hand, a tear gets knocked

down his cheek again. An ambulances siren blares in the
distance. Oliver huffs back tears, he shuts his eyes.
-Her living moments flash onto screen.
When he opens his eyes theres a fierceness to them. Oliver
stands and runs away.
ONLOOKER
Wait wheres he going?
Oliver sprints, knowing what he has to do. His feet turn
into a blur and the road waits for him.
CUT TO:
EXT. ROAD - NIGHT
He runs alone on the same street that he and Maisie once
walked down.
CUT TO:
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT
Oliver swings his bedroom door open and he looks to the
machine on the floor.
Hes still upset as he types in the date.
Behind him, the black hole grows slowly, this time it
doesnt shudder or shake, it just oozes into the room calmly
- this is what needs to be done.
He turns and walks forth.
Oliver is engulfed in the darkness and then the darkness
vanishes.
CUT TO:
EXT. ROAD - DAY
A calm road sits quietly.
The silence ends when the black orb comes into view.
Out of it steps Oliver, who moves away from it and the orb
implodes.

11.

He begins to walk carefully up the road. It becomes clear

that he has headed to outside Maisies house. He hides.
The door swings open, revealing his past self, and Maisie,
they speak for a few moments, before she shuts the door on
him.
The Past Oliver sees himself and it stops him in his tracks.
OLIVER
Get rid of it Oliver. Dont do it.
Past Oliver looks confused.
OLIVER
If you love her, youll destroy it.
His past self knows this is serious, and so he gently fades
away.
Oliver stands looking into the distance, all alone, knowing
what must be done, he starts walking.
CUT TO:
EXT. FIELD - NIGHT
Oliver walks onto a field, holding a cardboard box full of
blue prints and the machine.
He rests it all down and squirts some gasoline on it all
before lighting a match and setting it alight.
Oliver watches as the fire burns.
CUT TO:
INT. MODERNIST HOUSE - DAY
Oliver finishes his story.
OLIVER
It just wasnt meant to be.
Natalie and Michael are transfixed.
OLIVER
But it doesnt matter, if Id have
stayed with her then you two
wouldnt be here, I might not have
met your gran... Plus, shes got
(MORE)

12.

OLIVER (contd)
children of her own now, and her
health, so, in the end, I suppose
it all worked out perfectly.
He smiles to his grandkids and they smile back.
MICHAEL
Yeah, but how do we know any of
that actually happened granddad?
Oliver passes the tablet back to Natalie.
OLIVER
You dont. But it did.
Oliver laughs a little. They all let the story wash over
them for a moment.
FADE TO:
EXT. ROAD - DAY
Young Oliver is sat waiting for a taxi with his ear phones
in, he has a suitcase with him.
A hand rests on his arm.
He sees that its Maisie and he takes his earphones out.
OLIVER
Hey.
MAISIE
Nearly didnt recognize you then,
howve you been?
OLIVER
Ive been alright yeah, have you?
MAISIE
Yeah Im good, that app youve made
is great, all my mates at uni have
it.
OLIVER
Really?
MAISIE
(sincere)
Yeah its really good.

13.

OLIVER
Well, Im glad you like it.
Beat.
MAISIE
Are you?
OLIVER
Well yeah means more money for me.
She smiles. He laughs a bit doesnt really have anything to
say.
MAISIE
Ive got to go sorry. Its good to
see you doing well.
Maisie begins edging away.
MAISIE
Ill see you about.
OLIVER
See you!
And just like that, shes off, getting smaller and smaller
in view, until she finally leaves the scene. Oliver watches,
then smiles ever so slightly.
CUT TO:
CREDITS