FATHER + SOCK

By
Mason Blake
1 INT. DINING ROOM - EVENING 1
DAD, mom, and BILLY sit at a wooden kitchen table in a
dimly-lit wooden house, eating spaghetti. In one of their
hands they hold a fork, the other one, a sock puppet. Billy
isn’t eating, and his sock puppet is face-flat on the table.
Dad’s sock puppet, noticing this, turns to Billy.
DAD’S SP
Son? What’s wrong with your
spaghetti?

BILLY’S SP
I’m not hungry.
MOM’S SP
Not hungry? But Billy, spaghetti is
your favourite!
BILLY
I’m not. Hungry.
Dad and mom are both shocked and angered.

MOM’S SP
Billy! How dare you use your human
voice in this house! I raised you
better than that.

BILLY
I don’t want to speak through a
stupid sock puppet, mom. Socks are
for your feet.

DAD’S SP
(through his teeth)
Tread lightly, Billy. You’re
walking on the thinnest of ice with
me.

BILLY
I can’t keep going on like this -
living this double life! Speaking
with sock puppets in here and then
speaking like a normal, regular
person out there in the world - the
real world!
DAD’S SP
That’s it. Go to your room. Now.

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: 2.

BILLY
You’re crazy! You’re both crazy!
Billy kicks back his chair and storms off to his room.
Before entering, he looks back at his parents and throws his
sock puppet onto the floor. mom, seeing this, bursts into
tears and cries into Dad’s shoulder.
CUT TO: EXT. HOUSE - NIGHT

2 INT. BILLY’S BEDROOM - NIGHT 2

Billy sits on the side of his bed, angrily and repeatedly
throwing a ball at the wall. There is a tender knock at his
door. The door then opens slightly, and mom’s sock puppet
peeps in.

MOM’S SP
Can I come in?
BILLY
I guess.

mom slinks into the room - her puppet leading the way. She
sits beside Billy on the bed.
MOM’S SP
Billy, look. I know we’re not a
normal family. I didn’t grow up
like this.
BILLY
You didn’t?

MOM’S SP
No - actually, your father
introduced me to it. He approached
me at a cafe with his sock puppet
and asked me out on a date. I
thought it was creative and
charming. I didn’t know that it
never came off. But eventually, I
adapted to it and, after
awhile, adopted it myself.

BILLY
But it’s just so strange, mom! I’ve
been to my friend’s houses, and
none of them do anything like this!
Not even close! Why do we keep
doing it if we know it’s weird!

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: 3.

MOM’S SP
I don’t have the answers, Billy.
But I do know that your father
loves you, and only wants what’s
best.
mom takes a moment. She then pulls off her sock puppet, and
places her hand on Billy’s shoulder. Billy is amazed.

MOM
Apologise to him, Billy. It’ll be
easier.
Billy looks at her, as if he’s trying to find the true
meaning of it all in her eyes.

3 INT. DAD’S DEN - NIGHT 3

Dad sits in his chair, looking directly ahead into a lit
fireplace while his sock puppet reads a book sitting in his
lap. Billy sulks into the room. Dad’s sock puppet, hearing
Billy’s footsteps, turns around and looks at Billy.
DAD’S SP
Hello, son.

BILLY
Hey, dad...look, I just wanted to
say-
DAD’S SP
Shh shh shh. It’s okay son.
BILLY
It is?
DAD’S SP
Of course it is. In fact, it’s
almost forgotten!
At that moment, Dad stands up out of the chair. Billy looks
down to see that in Dad’s other hand is his sock puppet,
dangling.

BILLY
Dad-
DAD’S SP
Please, Billy, not another word
from that human mouth of yours. If
you want to talk to me, it’d be in
your best interest to put back on
your sock.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 4.

BILLY
But dad-
DAD’S SP
(turning away)
La-la-la, I can’t hear you! I don’t
speak human-ese!
BILLY
Dad, this isn’t normal!

DAD’S SP
What’s that I hear? Rustling leaves
in the wind with the faint voice of
my son?
BILLY
Dad! Ugh, just-
Billy quickly approaches his father and snatches the sock
puppet from him. His father and puppet both look at him,
smiling. Billy looks at his father with remorse, but this
look is quickly replaced by anger as he throws his sock
puppet into the fire.
DAD
(diving to the fireplace)
No!

Dad bursts into tears. Billy, slowly stepping back in fear,

turns and runs to the door. His father continues sobbing by
the fire. mom then rushes in and crouches down beside him,
caressing him.
END