All Four Walls

Written by The Genj

INT. ROOM - DAY
Two young men sit at the back of a dimly lit room, in prison
uniforms, in conversation whilst we hear someone talking
inaudibly from the front of the room.

MICHAEL
I just dont understand why were
still here.
He looks about cautiously.

MICHAEL
(whispering) Im losing my mind!
JAMES
I know man, me too. I feel as
though the walls are closing in
and... And I just dont know how
much longer I can stand this.
MICHAEL leans in close and pulls JAMES in by his collar.

MICHAEL
(whispering) I have an idea.
JAMES shakes his head and sits back.
JAMES
No no no no-
MICHAEL
What? Why?

JAMES
This sounds just like that one time
you told me to eat that packet of
crayons.
MICHAEL
What? No, this is nothing like
that, that was a joke, this is-
JAMES
That was bad, mike.

MICHAEL
No, I know-
JAMES
I got wax poisoning. I almost died,
Mike.
 2.

MICHAEL
Yeah-
JAMES
I was vomiting rainbow crayon wax
all night.

MICHAEL
I know. I know and Im sorry for
that, but if youll just listen-

JAMES
Doctors said I was lucky to be
alive.
MICHAEL
(agitated whisper) JUST SHUT UP AND
LISTEN!
Silence. The inaudible talking from the front of the room
stops. Both MICHAEL and JAMES look to the front of the room.
The talking starts again and they look back to each other.

MICHAEL
I was thinking that... We break
out.
A looks of shock takes over JAMES face.

JAMES
What?!
MICHAEL
I was thinking that-

JAMES
Yeah I know. I have ears. I heard
you mate. Youre just insane is
all.

MICHAEL
Hey. Calm down. I have a plan.
MICHAEL pulls out a blueprint of the building they are in
with various labels and diagrams. He looks down at his work.

MICHAEL
Are you ready for this-
He looks up to see JAMES folding a paper plane.
 3.

MICHAEL
Hey! James!
JAMES
Wait wait wait. Just hold up one
second ok? This is gonna be great.

He finishes the plane and throws it across the room.

WIDE of the room as the plane sails across the space to the
person sitting at the front of the room, a shadow. It hits
the person in the head.
MAN IN SHADOW
Ow!
The man sighs, scrunches up the plane, walks over to the
bin, tosses it and sits back down again.
JAMES bursts out laughing.
MICHAEL
Are you through now?

JAMES
What?
MICHAEL
You had enough?

JAMES
Oh, right, yeah, sure, lets hear
it.
MICHAEL smiles.

MICHAEL
Ive come to realise that there are
certain "weak spots" in the alarm
system. Here, here and here.

He points to these locations on the map.

JAMES
Ok. So?

MICHAEL
Well.
 4.

EXT. KITCHEN - NIGHT

MICHAEL and JAMES sneak past the prison cooks to a duct
entrance.
MICHAEL(V.O.)
We locate the entrance to the
heating ducts in the kitchen.
JAMES(V.O.)
Well have to sneak past the cooks.

MICHAEL pushes JAMES up into the vent while he looks out for
the cooks.
MICHAEL(V.O.)
Yes.

MICHAEL himself jumps up into the vent.

INT. ROOM - DAY
Back in the present.

JAMES
And then?
MICHAEL
Then we crawl through the vents.

INT. VENTING SYSTEM - NIGHT

The two boys crawl through the vents.
MICHAEL(V.O.)
We crawl and we crawl until... We
find the exit into the main
corridor.
MICHAEL gazes out the exit.

INT. ROOM - DAY

JAMES
The main corridor?! No. No no no no
no... The warden will get us.

MICHAEL
Well have to be pretty sneaky.
 5.

INT. MAIN CORRDIOR - NIGHT

The two boys jump out of the vent and fall into the
corridor. The creep quietly down the corridor.

CLOSE ON boots marching elsewhere. JAMES looks horrified.

MICHAEL
Shhhh! Shhh.
JAMES
(whispering) Hes close!
MICHAEL
I know.
The sound of the boots vanishes into the distance. They
creep onwards.
Before long, they see the exit. Moonlight glistens through
the raindrops of the storm outside, shining in through the
double doors, salvation. MICHAEL beams.

INT. ROOM - DAY

MICHAEL
And I think... If were really damn
sneaky...

INT. MAIN CORRDIOR - NIGHT

CAMERA PANS TO JAMES.
MICHAEL(V.O.)
We may just get out of here yet.
A hand claps on JAMES shoulder, making him jump.
WARDEN
Whatre ya doing out here at this
hour boys?
JAMES
W- w- w- what?
JAMES is terrified, MICHAEL looks on in horror.

JAMES
We were looking for the bathroom s-
s- s- sir.
The WARDEN sniffs the air suspiciously and then looks down
at JAMES.
 6.

WARDEN
Bullshit. You boys are coming with
me.
JAMES
RUN MICHAEL!
WARDEN
Wot?
MICHAEL
What?
JAMES punches the WARDEN in the chest.
JAMES
RUN!

MICHAEL runs. Behind him he can hear JAMES screaming.

MICHAEL
Im sorry James!

MICHAELS getting close to the exit. He trips and falls, but

he crawls on, getting ever so close.
JAMES(V.O.)
I dont know. It sounds awfully
risky...

MICHAEL(V.O.)
Well I never said it was gonna be
easy.
MICHAEL gets to his feet and stumbles out into the rain.
Emotional music sets in as he looks over the green landscape
outside. He thrusts his arms out in victory, embracing the
rain. The CAMERA TRACKS OUT into an AERIAL SHOT. CUT TO:
A WIDE shot, side on. MICHAEL stands in the sun with his
arms outstretched in front of a school. Its not raining and
hes not in prison uniform, hes in school uniform.
The WARDEN approaches him.
WARDEN
Michael, youve gotta stop doing
this. This is the fifth time youve
snuck out of class early this week.
And we only have three lessons a
week so-
 7.

MICHAEL
Oh...
He realises.
WARDEN
Come back to class.
MICHAEL winces.
MICHAEL(V.O.)
I think weve got a shot.
INT. ROOM - DAY
JAMES
Youre sure?

MICHAEL beams.
MICHAEL
Positive.

PAN ACROSS to the WARDEN who is sitting at the table with

them, listening in. PUNCH IN CLOSE ON his face.
CUT TO BLACK