FMP SCRIPT

Draft 1

Written by Harriot Bentata

 Scene 1
INT: KITCHEN – DAY 1
It’s a very warm kitchen, very homely and cosy. WENDY makes a
cup of tea.
Montage of making a cup of tea whilst title credits roll:
-- Flicks the kettle switch on
-- water boiling
-- opening draw for a spoon
-- grabs a mug
-- puts a teabag in the mug
-- pours in boiling water
-- grabs milk from the fridge
-- removes the teabag
-- pours the milk in and stirs
-- adds sugar
Wendy raises the mug to her lips she is spaced out, but she
looks almost worried, a new title appears on screen, a while
after the rest – it reads “Day 89” her sipping is interrupted
by post going through the door.
She flinches, still fearful after what’s happened to her, she
goes to check the post, hoping there isn’t anything from him…
She flicks through the post, rapidly opening envelopes and
scanning the contents, until the coast is clear. She breaths
a sigh of relief, than looks upset – she is sad that she
should feel this vulnerable and paranoid. she is still for a
while, just trying to breath, the pause feels long.
Sound: ringing increases, background noise gets louder, Until
it is cut off
Quick montage of getting ready to go walking with a friend:
-- zipping up coat
-- tying shoes,
-- putting on gloves or scarf
Words on the screen read “day one”.
Wendy opens the door and leaves very casually.
 Scene 2
EXT: WALKING TRAIL – DAY 2
Wendy is talking with LISA after a long walk sat at their
favourite outdoor café spot. It’s a typical British day, grey
but bright.
Wendy is talking about her slight midlife crisis.

Wendy

I just don't know what to do anymore Lisa.

Everything feels like it's falling apart.

Lisa

Oh, Wendy, I'm so sorry you're feeling this way.

What's been going on?

Wendy

It's just... I feel like I've lost myself, Lisa. I

look in the mirror and I don't recognize the person
staring back at me. I feel stuck in this rut, like
I'm not living the life I want to live.

Lisa

life can bring about so many uncertainties and

questions. But you're not alone. We're all
navigating this journey together.

Wendy

I know, but it's hard not to feel like I'm running

out of time. I see everyone around me achieving
their dreams, and here I am, feeling stuck in a job
I'm not passionate about, in a life that feels so...
mundane.

Lisa:

It's never too late. You still have so much ahead of

you… (she pauses) Have you ever considered joining
any groups… like at the church?
 Wendy

It’s a bit late don’t you think… for me to join the

church… I know I did stuff when I was little, but
this seems quite a bit more… proper.

Lisa

No harm in trying, if you don’t like you just leave

quietly and shut the door behind you… close the
curtains on that chapter.

Wendy

I’m not sure but thank you, maybe I’ll give it a go.

Lisa

I'll be right there cheering you on every step of

the way, Wendy. You've got this, now there’s a new
vicar at St. ______’s church so if you want to feel
new like everyone else I’d go there, but for a
pretty ready-made community try St. John’s, I don’t
know about the others.

Wendy:

I’ll be sure to have a google.

Wendy gets the idea to start going to church to get herself

back in touch with God as well try and find some support for
herself…
Scene 3
INT: KITCHEN – DAY
Tea montage plays again, only faster this time.
-- Flicks the kettle switch on
-- water boiling
-- opening draw for a spoon
-- grabs a mug
-- puts a teabag in the mug
-- pours in boiling water
-- grabs milk from the fridge
 -- removes the teabag
-- pours the milk in and stirs
-- adds sugar
-- quickly sips and makes an “aaah” sound

This further moves into a quicker version of the getting ready

to go out montage.
-- zipping up coat
-- tying shoes,
-- putting on gloves or scarf
Words on the screen read “day 2”.
MUSIC: JOVIAL MUSIC IS PLAYING – 20S/30S JAZZ AND SINGING

Scene 4
EXT/INT: CHURCH – DAY
Wendy stands looking at the church, working up the courage to
go in…
She makes her way inside; she is enjoying the service from her
pew. She waits until everyone has left to go up and greet the
vicar.
The vicar turns around, he subtly looks taken aback but he
doesn’t say or do anything odd – it’s all in his eyes.

WENDY
Hello its lovely to meet you Vicar, I’m Wendy, I’m
afraid I haven’t attended church in a long time (she
smiles shyly and with sorrow)

VICAR
Ah, well that’s just alright… over the years I have
met dozens of new persons returning to church life.
What convinced you to rejoin if you don’t mind me
asking?
 WENDY
Life hasn’t been treating me how I’d have hoped, I
have found recently I haven’t been coping with being
alone as well as I thought, my sister moved out from
our house to start a job in Ireland, I haven’t got a
husband or children… or a pet, suddenly my house and
my life has gotten empty.

VICAR
(quickly but nervously) Nothing a vicar can’t fix
(he nervous laughs – his eyes are still a little
creepy)
You are always welcome to come to my office for a
cup of tea and a biscuit. Anytime…

WENDY
It was lovely meeting you vicar, an excellent
service by the way – see you next week!

VICAR
See you next week Wendy…
Wendy leaves but the vicar’s eyes linger over the spot she’s
walked out from. His face turns to a look of severe evil
thought – he looks as though he is going to hunt her down.

A quick flash of a shot of Wendy screaming appears – but is

gone before it can be registered.
Scene 5
EXT: WALKING TRAIL CAFÉ – DAY
The text reads “day 17”, Wendy and Lisa are having a catchup
at their favourite café again.

They’re talking about how everything is going and drinking

coffee.
The conversation ends and Wendy leaves, gets up to leave the
other way but forgets her umbrella she comes back but stops
around the corner, she notices the vicar is picking up Wendy’s
coffee cup as well as the used sugar packet and puts it in a
plastic bag, it’s too weird for her not to intervene so she
loudly frightens him.

LISA
Hello Vicar!

VICAR
(startled) yes, hello Lisa, I was just helping clear
tables, you know – just part of the community
involvement, helping out and all.

LISA
What’s the plastic bag for?

VICAR
(Stutters) it- they- are for umm-

LISA
Liquids? Preventing mess I see?

VICAR
Ah yes, you are absolutely right, well it was great
seeing you but my uh, shift is done now so… bye
Lisa!

LISA
Bye!

The vicar puts the plastic bag in the bin whilst Lisa is still
there and walks off – almost like an act – he is forced to do
so from Lisa’s presence.
Once Lisa sorts out her umbrella she walks off, the vicar
walks back and takes the plastic bag out of the bin, Lisa
however is still watching from around the corner… She is now
incredibly suspicious of the vicar.

Scene 6
INT: HOUSE – DAY
Wendy is gathering snacks in the kitchen as she sees a figure
appear ay her front door, the doorbell rings – the tension
heightens. She opens the door and it’s just Lisa but she’s
desperate to come in.

The screen reads “day 18”.

WENDY
You’re early for once. (She laughs)

LISA
Wendy, listen to me, there is something wrong with
that vicar of yours.

WENDY
What? have you met the vicar? He’s a sensible holy
man. Why what’s wrong with him, you don’t like the
colour of his dog collar?

LISA
At the café yesterday after you left… I left my
umbrella, so I went back to get it… and he was
there. He was at our table, and he put your coffee
cup into a plastic bag and sealed it. He looked
startled when I saw him and said some nonsense about
preventing mess and helping the community, so he put
it in the bin, and then when I left I hid around the
corner-
 WENDY
(disapprovingly) You hid around the corner?

Lisa
Yes Wend, and he… (almost in a whisper) he went and
got it back out of the bin…
Wendy isn’t really convinced she looks at Lisa like she is
making everything up. But is still somewhat concerned.

LISA
But he didn’t take mine… mine was left on the table,
he didn’t even put it in the bin, let alone seal it
in a plastic bag.

WENDY
I’m sure he meant to, maybe he just forgot because
you startled him. No harm done; he’s only trying to
help.

LISA
(giving in) You’re right. You’re right! I’m sorry,
it just seemed funny… sorry Wendy.

WENDY
That’s alright, just don’t get carried away with
anything…

They sort of laugh at themselves – a vicar? Being a stalker?

Impossible…

INT: OFFICE – AFTERNOON

MUSIC: JAZZ- (SUGGESTIVE OF SINISTERISM)
The vicar is scribbling away in his diary and sticking photos
on his wall, of course – of Wendy. He looks at the photos
lovingly and picks up an item of clothing as smells it very
closely.
He walks past Wendy’s house – he hides behind a bush and stops
to take photos of her inside her living room, Lisa is too
walking by, she sees the vicar and hides to watch him, he
stops taking photos, then carries on walking.

Lisa stays still, sends a message to Wendy “He was outside

your house today – he took photos, if he does it again I’m
calling the police”.

FINAL SCENE
INT: CHURCH – DUSK
Lisa is looking for the vicar, in the church to confront him
about leaving Wendy alone. She goes to what she thinks is the
office but when she opens the door she stumbles across a
shrine dedicated to Wendy.
It consists of:
-- sneaky photos of her
-- The used coffee cup.
-- a scarf
-- bags of unknown liquids
-- letters he has written to her
-- photos of her from school.
She looks further around the space and finds a diary, the
inscription on the inside is “The diary of Eric Andrew
Porter”. Lisa is spooked, she knew she recognised him, he went
to the same school as Wendy and Lisa for about a year.

She opens the diary to the first entry, it reads:

VICAR (V.O)
“Dear God.
Thank you for reuniting me with my beloved Wendy, I am
thankful to you, for allowing me to see her up close after all
these years from afar, and for sending her to me for my help,
I knew you would unite us, for our great adventure. However,
you must forgive me, for my desires - putting this barrier
between us has made life difficult in our relationship. I know
I chose this profession, but I am a man. A man who loves a
woman, and I don’t want to live knowing that she could walk
this earth with other men… I am sorry for these feelings, I am
still unsure of how to solve them, but I know you will guide
me oh lord.
Thank you, Amen.
Eric Andrew Porter”

Lisa slams it shut and gets her phone out. She walks down the
road, She tries to call Wendy, but she won’t answer, so she
texts her.

“ERIC ANDREW PORTER, REMEMBER HIM? FROM SCHOOL? HE’S THE VICAR
WENDY AND HES BEEN STALKING YOU FOR MONTHS, YOU ARE NOT SAFE
WENDY. STAY FAR AWAY FROM HIM, ILL CALL THE POLICE”

INT: HOME – DUSK

Wendy is going to bed when she hears a sound from downstairs
in her house. She gets up to investigate.

She lingers on the stairs, slowly looking around, she gets

downstairs and checks every room, before settling on the idea
of going back upstairs, she opens the door to the spare room
and no ones there, except we can see that the vicar is right
behind the door, with his hand over his mouth, trying to stay
quiet.
Wendy shuts the door, having given up on any movement, gets in
bed, rolls over and closes her eyes.
The vicar appears by her bed he is still and silent.

VICAR
If I cant have you… no one can.
Wendy rolls over and screams.
We see the vicar raise a knife high above his head.
THE END