Trapped in the Lunchroom

By

Jonathan Mathis

Film 1
Third Block
Spring 2020
INT. SCHOOL CLASSROOM - DAY

The bell rings. The CHILDREN rush out the door, but a fairly
tall kid named CLINT takes his time bookmarking his place in
his book, closing his book, and packing it up. He stands up
and walks out the door.

INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - DAY

Clint starts walking towards the bus line on the opposite end
of the building. His friend RAYMOND calls out to Clint.

RAYMOND
Hey! Clint!

As Clint turns around to see Raymond, Raymond jogs to Clint's

side and walks with him. They talk as they walk to the other
end of the building.

CLINT
(Delighted)
Ah. Hello Raymond. How was your day?

RAYMOND
*Sighs* It was... okay. Science
sucked, though. Mr. Hill was really
mad about forgetting his lunch and
just made us copy notes for the whole
time.

CLINT
(Empathetic)
Ooh. That had to hurt.

RAYMOND
Yeah. My hand felt cramped for an hour
after.

CLINT
Ouch.

RAYMOND
Yeah. How about your day?

CLINT
It was actually pretty good. We had a
sub for health class and he just
turned on a movie.

RAYMOND
Oh nice. What movie?

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 2.

CLINT
I don't want to say. References kinda
feel overdone.

Raymond shrugs in agreement. They walk into the commons area.

INT. SCHOOL COMMONS AREA/LUNCHROOM - DAY

Raymond stops to say hi to his friend ROSS. They do a little

handshake to hug to fist bump thing. Raymond steps back and
starts talking.

RAYMOND
Hey, Ross! How's it going?

ROSS
It's goin' well. You?

RAYMOND
I'm doin' pretty well, all things
considered.

ROSS
Cool.

During this exchange, Clint sighs and looks around

impatiently. Raymond wraps up his short conversation.

RAYMOND
Well, I'ma head on. See ya.

ROSS
See ya.

Raymond and Clint start walking again. A short pause passes

before Clint starts talking again.

CLINT
Anyways...

Raymond chuckles at the sudden restart in conversation.

CLINT (CONT'D)
Man, this construction work they're
doing seems pretty unnecessary.

Clint and Raymond walk through the doorway to the next

hallway. Clint, however, does not go to the next hallway. He
is teleported to the previous doorway instantly.

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 3.

CLINT (CONT'D)
This school's been doing fine [beat]
lately.

Clint stops and looks around in confusion, first wondering

why he's still in the lunchroom and then where everyone went.

CLINT
Hello? Anyone here?

Clint continues to walk towards the other doorway. When he

goes through, he is put right back at the other doorway,
similar to before. Clint stops in his tracks.

CLINT
(Freaked out)
What the--

Clint turns in place, looking around in utter confusion and

disbelief. JEFFREY appears behind him after a few full turns.

JEFFREY
(As if expecting Clint)
Hello Clint.

Clint jumps and turns around, preparing to defend himself.

CLINT
(Trembling)
Wha-- Who are you? Where is everyone?

JEFFREY
I am the ultimate healer. The resolver
to everyone's internal issues, and the
effects they have on others.

CLINT
So, like a surgeon?

JEFFREY
(Semi-frustrated)
What? No. I heal fears and
inhibitions.

A short pause occurs as Clint thinks.

CLINT
A therapist?

Jeffrey sighs.

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 4.

JEFFREY
(Annoyed)
I guess if that's what works in your
mind, sure. I'm a therapist of sorts.

CLINT
Ah. That makes sense.

Another pause goes by.

CLINT
Another question. Why do you look like
me?

JEFFREY
The best therapy is done when the
patient gets the sense that they're
doing this to themselves. In reality,
I have no concrete physical form. I
manifest as the person I'm healing to
make my point more impactful. It makes
me effectively mortal, but it works
wonderfully.

CLINT
Oh. Okay.

Another pause goes by.

CLINT
Another thing. What's your name,
anyways?

JEFFREY
It's-- um-- Jeffrey.

Clint chuckles

JEFFREY
Shut up.

Another pause goes by.

CLINT
One more question. Um-- What illness
are you ridding me of?

JEFFREY
Your extremely short attention span.

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 5.

CLINT
(Confused)
My attention span? Lots of people have
short attention spans. Why pick me?

JEFFREY
Because your attention span is
practically crippling. You can't stand
stopping to appreciate something
because you end up just switching to
something else almost instantly--

Clint zones out for a bit and Jeffrey's voice starts fading
out. Suddenly, Jeffrey's voice cuts back in.

JEFFREY
--as you have already zoned out.

CLINT
(Snapping back to reality)
What? Oh, sorry. What'd you say?

Jeffrey pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs in an

annoyed manner. He brings his hand down and speaks again.

JEFFREY
Your attention span is dangerously
short. That's why you're here. I'm
keeping you here until you learn to
keep your mind on something for more
than 15 seconds. When you prove you
can stay on something for longer than
that, you may exit through that
doorway and return to the exact point
in time you left.

Jeffrey points to the doorway in the direction of the bus

line.

JEFFREY
Until then, you stay here.

A few minutes pass off screen. Clint is sitting against the

trophy case with his head against the glass and his eyes
closed. Jeffrey is standing against the wall where he was,
flipping a coin. After a few seconds, Clint brings his head
forward, looks at Jeffrey, and clears his throat.

CLINT
When can I get out?

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 6.

JEFFREY
When I can see that you've spent long
enough on something.

Clint stands up and turns towards Jeffrey.

CLINT
Well, I've been thinking on one topic
for the last few minutes.

Jeffrey looks up.

JEFFREY
And what topic is that?

CLINT
Well, it's-- uh-- hold on. I just had
it.

JEFFREY
Exactly. Try again when you have
something to show for it.

Jeffrey goes back to flipping his coin.

Clint sits back down. He notices a small screwdriver beside

him. He grabs it and hides it in his sleeve. He stands up and
walks towards the doorway opposite Jeffrey. Jeffrey looks up
when Clint is close to the doorway.

JEFFREY
You are aware that you're just gonna
teleport back here?

Clint looks back with a grin on his face.

CLINT
I know.

Clint runs towards the doorway, raising up the screwdriver as

he teleports to the other door. Jeffrey looks confused and
turns his head.

JEFFREY
Then what are you-

Jeffrey stops. Clint stabbed him in the stomach just as he

turned to the other doorway. Jeffrey slumps down the wall.

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 7.

JEFFREY
(Through coughs)
Welp, guess you got me. I guess you
remembered my slight mortality. I knew
that would come to haunt me someday. I
guess that's as good a proof as any
that you've improved. Go. Leave me.
Don't feel bad. I'm not really human.
All I can do now is just- *cough* die.

Jeffrey dies.

Clint looks at Jeffrey for a bit longer before walking

towards the exit doorway. When he walks through, he's right
back to where he was before he entered Jeffrey's domain. He
continues to walk beside Raymond, relieved he's back.

RAYMOND
The construction work seems pretty--
what?

Clint realizes what Raymond is saying.

CLINT
Oh. It just seems fairly unnecessary.
The school isn't falling apart or
anything. We're fine right now.

Raymond shrugs in agreement. A few seconds pass.

RAYMOND
Well that's a first.

CLINT
What?

RAYMOND
You actually finished the thought you
were on before...

Raymond looks at Clint for a second as he thinks.

RAYMOND
Before you zoned out, I guess.

CLINT
Huh. I guess I did.

THE END
_______

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