a day in the life of an unordinary man

8/4/2019 A Day in the Life of an Unordinary Man

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A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN UNORDINARY MAN

A SHORT STORY

WRITTEN BY

ARTHUR WEI

AUGUST 2011



2

FADE IN:

1. INT. BEDROOMA MAN wakes. He blinks, trying to shake a strange feeling, as if

he’s just woken from a nightmare.

He glances to the other side of the bed – a FRAMED PHOTO sits on

the nightstand: the MAN and a WOMAN in a warm embrace. He gets

up.

2. INT. BATHROOMCLOSE UP: A single toothbrush. A single towel.

The MAN takes a deep look at himself in the mirror. He brushes

his teeth. He shaves. He combs his hair.

He sees a pair of GLASSES on the counter and pauses. He puts them

on curiously; they’re blurry. They’re obviously not his.

As he sets the glasses down, he glances at himself in the mirror

– he freezes. He notices something on the underside of his

forearm – a few BLACK SLASHES are freshly scratched into his

skin. He washes it over – they vanish.

INSERT: the REFLECTION in the mirror – the markings are still on

his forearms.

3. INT. APARTMENT - LATERThe MAN walks out of the bedroom, buttoning up his shirt. He

grabs his wallet and keys and heads to the front door. He stops.

On the door handle is a LANYARD – on it is a SINGLE KEY.

Perplexed, he pockets the KEY.

4. EXT. DOWNTOWNThe MAN enters a gleaming skyscraper.

5. INT. SKYSCRAPER BUILDINGHe enters the elevators.

6. INT. ELEVATORThe MAN scratches his arm, through his shirt, where the BLACK

SLASHES were this morning. He sees a BLACK MARKING near his

wrist, protruding from under his sleeve. He begins to roll up his

sleeve to reveal the BLACK MARKINGS running up his arms. His face

twists in confusion.

The elevator doors open and he bolts out.



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7. INT. OFFICE BATHROOMThe MAN rushes to the sink and rolls up his sleeve – his entire

forearm is covered in grotesque BLACK MARKINGS, stretching down

his arm in sporadic lines.

He turns on the water and feverishly washes, scrubbing his armswith soap. He raises his eyes to the mirror and the REFLECTION is

staring back at him, twisted in a SINISTER SMILE.

The MAN steps back, aghast. Beat. He stares at himself in the

mirror. Scared.

He moves his arm, the REFLECTION does the same. He cautiously

comes back to the sink begins to scrub his arm – the MARKINGS

have disappeared.

He looks up – the REFLECTION gives him a sly wink. He bolts out

of the bathroom. PAN OVER: in the mirror, the REFLECTION watches

him leave.

8. INT. OFFICE - LATERThe MAN closes the door to his office. He sits down, panicking.

He takes a few deep breathes. He checks his arm again – nothing.

He searches through his drawers – the top one is LOCKED. Beat. He

pulls out the KEY from his pocket.

He inserts the KEY and opens the drawer. It is empty except for a

MANILA envelope. On it is a handwritten note: READ ME.

He opens the MANILA envelope. He scratches his arm. Inside is a

large stack of documents and photos. Something falls out of the

stack of papers. The MAN picks it up: a lock of AUBURN HAIR. He

feels it between his fingers; a look of remorse fills his eyes.

He looks through the documents: various documents detailing maps

and locations. He scratches his arm more viciously. He pulls out

a long-lens candid PHOTOGRAPH of a WOMAN, walking. This is the

same WOMAN from the FRAMED PHOTO by the MAN’s bedside.

The MAN stares at the WOMAN’s face, a flash of recognition

crosses his eyes.

The MAN looks down – a vibrant RED is creeping through his

sleeves as he continues to scratch his arm, almost unknowingly.

He panics. He quickly packs up the MANILA envelope and locks it

back into his drawer.

9. EXT. DOWNTOWN – LATER



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The MAN exits the skyscraper in a hurry, clearly flustered. He

walks down the sidewalk – he glances back and notices a MAN

following him. This MAN wears a FEDORA, skewing his face.

The MAN quickens his step, the FEDORA MAN follows. The MAN peers

over his shoulder – the FEDORA MAN is still following him.

The MAN turns a corner and races up the sidewalk – the FEDORA MAN

follows. The MAN heads out of the city and towards the

WATERFRONT. He looks back – the FEDORA MAN follows step for step.

10. EXT. WATERFRONT – LATER

The MAN makes his way down the sidewalk and takes a sharp turn

onto a PIER. He heads to the end of the PIER and waits. He peeks

over his shoulder. The FEDORA MAN stops. Beat. He walks off.

The MAN breathes a sigh of relief. He turns around to see the

FEDORA MAN’s face just a few inches from his own. ThisFEDORA

MAN’s face is a spitting image of himself.

The MAN freaks out – he tumbles off the PIER and – SPLASH – falls

into the water.

FLASH CUT:

A pair of GLOVED HANDS exchanges an ENVELOPE with hands – inside

is the long-lens PHOTO of the WOMAN.

FLASH CUT:

The MAN embraces this WOMAN – the same pose as the FRAMED PHOTO

by his bedside.

FLASH CUT:

GLOVED HANDS hand over a duffel bag – inside is a pile of crisp

$100 bills.

FLASH CUT:

A WOMAN with AUBURN HAIR, turning around to look straight at us.

She wears GLASSES. A faint smile sits on her face.

FLASH CUT:

Hands wrapped around flesh, squeezing. Harder and harder. Water

splashes everywhere – a fight to the death. The water continues

to splash – faster and faster until --

CUT TO:

11. EXT. WATERFRONT PIER – MOMENTS LATER



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The water splashes. The MAN pops his head out of the water,

gasping for air. A look of recognition floods his eyes – he

remembers something.

12. INT. APARTMENT - DUSK

The MAN enters and loops the KEY back on the door knob. He walksdown the hall to the bathroom, almost drifting through the home,

a specter of a man.

13. INT. BATHROOM

The MAN enters the room, eyes locked on the bathtub. At this

moment, it all becomes clear…

CUT TO:

14. INT. BATHROOM – YEARS EARLIER

CLOSE UP: two toothbrushes. Two towels.

A WOMAN with AUBURN HAIR runs the bath, she wears a WHITE ROBE,

back to us. The MAN comes to the doorway. The WOMAN turns around

– this is the same WOMAN from the FRAMED PHOTO by his bedside. A

faint smile is on her face.

The MAN approaches the WOMAN, holding her in his arms. He kisses

her, a look of regret filling his eyes. She looks oddly worried

but also content.

THE WOMAN takes off her GLASSES and sets them on the counter.

Suddenly, the MAN wraps his hands around the WOMAN’s throat. She

instinctively grabs his wrists, trying to free herself. He

clenches, throwing her into the bathtub. They wrestle in the

water – the MAN’s face melting with sorrow as he clenches

tighter. The WOMAN struggles for her life, clawing at him –

SCRATCHING at his forearms.

The MAN holds the WOMAN underwater until her hands fall limp.

Through the water, we see her eyes glaze over in a deadly calm as

we — -

CUT TO:

15. INT. BATHROOM – PRESENT DAY

The MAN staggers back from the bathtub, reeling from the memory.

He stops in front of the mirror, knowing what’s waiting for him –

he slowly turns to face the mirror.



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He gazes at his REFLECTION. The REFLECTION pulls up both sleeves,

revealing twisted BLACK MARKINGS stretching up and down both

forearms, not unlike the scratches from the WOMAN.

The MAN can’t believe it – he looks closer into the mirror:

within the grotesque markings, he discerns a letter. It’s

reflected. Backwards. He gasps. He stammers back. The REFLECTIONgives him a knowing nod.

The MAN looks down, he pulls up both of his sleeves to reveal the

same BLACK MARKINGS on his arms. Except now, the MARKINGS have

become crystal clear. Legible. He reels in the horror of what he

sees.

PAN DOWN to reveal the MARKINGS on his arms: IT WAS THE ONLY WAY.

FORGIVE YOURSELF.

16. INT. BEDROOM

In shock, the MAN goes to the other side of the bed. He grabs the

FRAMED PHOTO as he slumps down. He runs his fingers over the

WOMAN’s face.

PULL BACK: the MAN slumps at the bedside, quietly sobbing.

17. EXT. APARTMENT – NIGHT

The soft glow from the apartment radiates through the windows.

The lights go out.

CUT TO BLACK

ROLL CREDITS

END.

a day in the life of an unordinary man

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