Free Form Writing in the Form of a Screenplay

Instead of random ramblings, I did some free form writing in the form of a screenplay.

Here’s what came out with no thought, rhyme, reason or inspiration. It just came out.

I titled it…

“SWIM”
An unedited first draft, free form piece of writing in screenplay format.
By Glenn Magas

INT. BEACH – DAY

It’s miserable out there. Miserable. The rain, the clouds, the towering waves. Its just not the place to be. But GLENN (38) stands there amidst it all, staring out into the threatening deep black sea. His wetsuit clings to his body his board under his arm, his mind – focused.

GLENN
Peter Piper Picked a Pepper and here goes nothing!

He charges toward the breaking waves, lifting his feet as they dig into the cold water. Then he disappears under the water.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. ROOM – DAY

The white room seems cold. Colder than the storm on the beach. Glenn, with breathing tubes in his nose, stirs under the white covers.

And we realize quite quickly, it’s a hospital bed.

A woman’s voice whispers.

WOMAN’S VOICE
Swim

Glenn, as if startled by the whisper, licks his lips.

GLENN
Donna…

His voice is dry. A struggle. Desperate.

GLENN
Water…

The room spins. Glenn grabs hold of the side of his hospital bed trying to get leverage.

GLENN
Help…

Suddenly, the room stops spinning and the door swings open.

DALE and DASIE (both 30ish) walk in, laughing.

Glenn reaches to them. He sits up. He yanks the tubes out of his nose.

GLENN
Dude… what the hell?

He gasps for air.

GLENN
Daze, where’s Donna?

Dale and Dasie don’t respond. They just laugh to one another as if sharing an inside joke. And from their perspective, Glenn is just laying there. Unmoved. Comatose.

GLENN
What the fuck! Dale! Where’s Donna?

Dale and Dasie take a seat and flick on the TV. Dasie flips channels.

DALE
Wait, wait… he likes that show.

On the TV screen the HBO show, “THE COMEBACK”, with Lisa Kudrow is on.

Glenn looks at the TV. Squints to get a clearer view. Lisa Kudrow is on screen.

GLENN
What? No I don’t! I don’t like… I told you I’m not sure if I like it. Chip said it was cancelled anyway.

And with that, CHIP (30ish) enters the room with Cotton Candy.

GLENN
Chip! Didn’t you say “The Comeback” was cancelled?

Chip sits on the foot of the bed, his back to Glenn.

CHIP
Oh, cool. The Comeback. Doesn’t Glenn love this show?

GLENN
I told you I don’t know! Hey! You guys.

They don’t answer.

GLENN
I have to pee.

Glenn swings his legs out of bed and just before he steps down looks on the ground.

GLENN
What the hell?

And paintballs, a few inches high, cover the floor.

GLENN
Dale, I thought you said Anarchy balls were sold out?

He turns back to look at Dale. But Dale isn’t doing what he thought – sitting there. He’s having sex with Dasie.

GLENN
Dude!!!

JACOB
Hi Papa.

Glenn looks at the door as Jacob (5) and Bella (2) shuffle their feet in the sea of paintballs.

GLENN
Jakey! Hi Bella… Where’s mommy?

Bella looks at the paintballs on the floor with glee.

BELLA
I want BeeBall.

JACOB
It’s not baseball, Bella. It’s PAINTball.

BELLA
Peeball.

JACOB
PAINTball.

BELLA
I want PeeBall.

Jacob picks up a pink one and holds it in front of Bella’s face.

JACOB
Here. Eat it. It’s yummy, Bella.

GLENN
Jakey, no!

He doesn’t listen.

GLENN
Jacob, NO!

Bella timidly takes a bite. She has to bite down harder in order to break it and she does. Pink paint pops out of the coating and paints her lips. Jacob laughs.

BELLA
Nucky!

GLENN
Chip, take that away from her!

Glenn turns back around to see Dale, cuddled up with Dasie on the chair as she smokes a cigar.

CHIP
Don’t eat those! Eat the Dynasty balls. They taste like apple!

Glenn timidly steps out of bed. He leans down and holds Jacob by the arms and looks into his eyes.

GLENN
That is very bad. I can’t believe you did that. I can’t believe you let Bella eat that. Think, Jacob. Think about that.

But Jacob doesn’t seem to react, he stares right through Glenn at something else.

Glenn turns around to see Chip playing an X-Box Game – Burnout 3: Takedown. Cars smash and crash on screen.

JACOB
I want to play!

And with that Jacob walks right past Glenn and joins Chip on the foot of the bed.

Glenn is confused. He looks around the room, contemplating the situation, predicament, the oddity. His brain firing up all possible explanations but its not coming.

He stands up.

GLENN
Where’s Donna!!!

And as if on cue, the door swings open.

And DONNA (30ish) enters.

She walks over to the bed and looks down and for the first time Glenn sees what Donna sees. He sees himself, a bandage around his head, tubes up his nose, an IV feeding him through his arm.

Glenn stands behind Donna.

GLENN
Honey?

Donna takes a look at his chart. Takes his pulse and temperature.

GLENN
What’s going on?

DONNA
You were supposed to take me to the Eagles concert tonight.

A tear drops from Donna’s eyes.

GLENN
I’ll take you. Anywhere.

She doesn’t answer.

Glenn doesn’t know what to say. He’s trying to let it register. Finally, as if he should have asked long ago he whispers…

GLENN
What happened?

From behind him, Bella speaks up.

BELLA
Papa?

Glenn slowly turns toward Bella.

GLENN
Can you hear me, Bella?

She looks right at him.

BELLA
I ruv you, Papa.

Suddenly everyone turns. Glenn looks around the room, at the people, they’re all looking at him.

The door opens and Liza peeks in.

LIZA
We’re going to be late for the reservation.

GLENN
Lees?

Glenn is on the verge of panic, tears, desperation.

Dale, Dasie, Chip and Jake rush out the room. Donna scoops up Bella. Glenn watches them disappear out the room.

Bella looks behind, back at Glenn.

BELLA
Swim.

BLACKNESS

The swirl of a liquid world surrounds us. The muffled sounds of voices echoes. The familiar sounds of waves crashing and the sight of a surfboard cut in half floats in the darkness that is the sea.


JACOB’S VOICE
Swim, papa.

Hands struggle in the dark, feet kick as the last reservation of air in the form of bubbles escapes from someone’s mouth.

Glenn’s mouth.

His eyes filled with fear. His body tossed and turned deep under water. His arms stroke hard trying desperately to reach his only goal. The surface of the water.

It seems like eternity as he struggles and finally reaches life – air.

The rain pounds down on his face as he gasps, suffocating from water deep in his lungs, struggling to stay afloat the dark ravages of the deadly waves.

INT. BEACH – MOMENTS LATER

Glenn crawls onto the wet sandy beach. Waves pound down on him forcing him down as he crawls to safety.

He coughs up the remaining salt water, clearing his chest then rolls onto his back and looks out at the sea.

Half of Glenn’s surfboard washes up.

BLACKNESS

JACOB
Why don’t you go surfing anymore?

INT. LIVINGROOM

Glenn, Jacob and Bella draw on pieces of paper laid out on the floor.

GLENN
I had a vision.

JACOB
What’s that?

GLENN
Oh… just something that told me not to anymore.

JACOB
So you just play paintball?

GLENN
Yeah. I guess.

BELLA
I like BeeBall.

JACOB
It’s not Baseball Bella, PAINTball.

BELLA
I like PEEball.

GLENN
It’s okay, Jake. She can say it the way she wants.

JACOB
Just as long as she doesn’t eat it right?

Glenn laughs.

GLENN
Right.

BELLA
I want eat PEEball.

Jacob and Glenn laugh as we leave them at their art work.

And above, behind Glenn, Jake and Bella, on the wall we see the surfboard on display like a priceless piece of art. At least half of it.

DONNA (OS)
Time to eat!

FADE OUT

THE END