Episode #21
The Day After #20

TEASER
FLASHBACK
EXT.		STREET		AFTERNOON
Clutching a sweatshirt, COURTNEY stands in the middle of a road, screaming. The scene appears fuzzy, like a dream.
As a CAR approaches Courtney, JASON rushes into the street from the sidewalk and pushes her out of the way. They land together on the sidewalk.
				JASON
				Don’t worry ... you’re safe.
										CUT TO:
INT.		CHASE HOME	MIDDAY
COURTNEY sits at the kitchen table, visibly shocked. She is breathing heavily and seems disturbed.
				COURTNEY
				(sotto voce)
				What is wrong with me? Why
				didn’t I see that car coming
				before? I guess I was just
				distracted ...
				SHANNON (OS)
				(in Courtney’s mind)
				Courtney ... Courtney ...
				COURTNEY
				(sotto voce)
				Damn her! Why does her voice
				keep running through my head?
				What is going on?
Enter DON.
				DON
				How are you feeling?
				COURTNEY
				Better. I’m lucky that car
				didn’t hit me.
				DON
				Jason saved your life.
				COURTNEY
				I know, Dad. I know.
INT.		SKATING RINK		SAME
JASON and SHANNON take a break, sitting on a bench.
				JASON
				Oh ... I’m tired. We have not
				practiced that hard in a long
				time.
				SHANNON
				Tell me about it!
Conversation pauses as they both take drinks of water.
				SHANNON
				So, how’d your picnic with
				Courtney go yesterday?
				JASON
				It was fun.
				(pause)
				But then I left my sweatshirt
				at her house. I guess she
				found and started to walk to
				my house to give it to me. It
				was a good thing I remembered
				it, because when I was on my
				way over there, I spotted her.
				She went to cross the street,
				but I guess she wasn’t paying
				attention, and down the street
				came a car.
				SHANNON
				Oh no! What happened?
She takes another drink of water.
				SHANNON
				(in her mind)
				That’s too bad, huh?
				JASON
				I jumped in there and pushed
				her out of the way.
				SHANNON
				She’s okay?
				JASON
				She’s fine.
				SHANNON
				(in her mind)
				Damn.
				SHANNON
				You shouldn’t try to be such
				a hero. What if you had been
				hurt?
				JASON
				I wasn’t about to sit there
				and watch Courtney get run
				over ... she’s my best friend.
				I don’t know what I would do
				without her.
INT.		SARAH & BRENT’S APT.	SAME
SARAH is in the middle of clearing the kitchen table when the phone rings. She answers it.
				SARAH
				Hello?
				PAULA (OS)
				Hi, dear. How are you?
				SARAH
				Hi Mom. I’m okay. A little
				tired ... I worked pretty
				late last night.
				PAULA (OS)
				Then you should try to go to
				bed early tonight, Sarah.
				SARAH
				Thank you, Mother. Now, I’m
				pretty sure you didn’t call
				to check up on my sleeping
				habits, so what’s up?
INT.		FISHER HOME		SAME
PAULA sits in the living room, speaking on the phone.
				PAULA
				Actually, I was wondering if
				you’ve spoken to your sister
				in the past few days.
				SARAH (OS)
				Molly? No. Why?
				PAULA
				She came over here yesterday
				with wonderful news.
				SARAH (OS)
				Which would be what?
				PAULA
				She’s engaged, dear!
INT.		SARAH & BRENT’S APT.	SAME
SARAH speaks on the phone in the kitchen.
				PAULA (OS)
				She’s engaged, dear!
Sarah seems very relieved.
ACT ONE
INT.		SARAH & BRENT’S APT.	MIDDAY
SARAH holds the phone to her ear but is silent; relief is evident in her face.
				SARAH
				Engaged, Mom? To Craig?
INT.		FISHER HOME		SAME
PAULA speaks on the phone in the living room.
				PAULA
				Yep. He proposed to her, and
				she accepted.
				SARAH (OS)
				Wow! Have they set a date yet?
				PAULA
				Not that I know of ... but I
				must say, Sarah, I’m a little
				worried about her.
				SARAH (OS)
				Why?
				PAULA
				Well, to be honest, I’m not
				sure if she’s that into it.
				Do you think there might be
				another man in her life?
INT.		SARAH & BRENT’S APT.	SAME
SARAH speaks on the phone in the kitchen.
				SARAH
				Another man?
										CUT TO:
FLASHBACK
INT.		BRENT’S APT.		NIGHT
MOLLY and BRENT kiss.
										CUT TO:
INT.		SARAH & BRENT’S APT.	MIDDAY
				PAULA (OS)
				Yes, Sarah. Do you think
				there might be another man
				who’s distracting Molly?
SARAH carefully ponders her answer.
INT.		CHASE HOME	SAME
DON sits next to COURTNEY at the kitchen table.
				DON
				You say you were distracted
				yesterday?
				COURTNEY
				Yeah -- I don’t know how to
				explain it. I just didn’t
				notice much of anything. I
				was just walking ...
				DON
				What was on your mind?
				COURTNEY
				I don’t know. Just ... oh,
				never mind.
She gets up to leave. Don puts a hand on her arm.
				DON
				Wait. Tell me what’s been
				bothering you, Court.
INT.		SKATING RINK		SAME
SHANNON and JASON sit on a bench, resting.
				SHANNON
				Yeah, it would be a shame if
				you lost her.
				(pause)
				Hold on -- I’ll be back in a
				sec. I’m gonna go get another
				bottle of water.
				JASON
				Okay.
Shannon rises and walks away.
Jason appears deep in thought.
										FADE TO:
FLASHBACK SEQUENCE
As soft, haunting music plays, Jason recalls a variety of scenes of COURTNEY and him together: walking in the park, washing his first car, swimming, skating, and having their picnic the previous day. This is interrupted by a vision of the CAR from the day before nearly hitting her.
										CUT TO:
INT.		SKATING RINK		MIDDAY
JASON looks up, startled.
				JASON
				(sotto voce)
				I’m glad nothing happened
				to you, Courtney. I don’t
				know what I’d do without you
				in my life.
SHANNON can be seen over his shoulder. She becomes the primary focus of the scene.
				SHANNON
				(in her mind)
				Think about her all you want,
				Jason -- ‘cause soon enough
				that’s all you’ll have left
				of your precious Courtney --
				memories!
ACT TWO
INT.		SARAH & BRENT’S APT.	MIDDAY
SARAH speaks on the phone in the kitchen.
				SARAH
				I don’t know, Mom. Do you
				really think she would have
				agreed to marry Craig if he
				wasn’t the only man in her
				life?
				PAULA (OS)
				That’s what’s odd. It isn’t
				like Molly to keep anything
				like this bottled up inside.
				SARAH
				I’m sure it’ll be fine, Mom.
				She’ll do the right thing
				when the time comes. Look, we
				don’t even know if there is
				anyone else!
				PAULA (OS)
				Good point, hon. Maybe I’m
				worrying unnecessarily.
				(pause)
				I should go, okay? I wanted
				to update you on what’s been
				going on.
				SARAH
				I appreciate it, Mom. Oh, by
				the way, do you know where
				Tim and Claire are? I tried
				to call them before, but no
				one picked up.
				PAULA (OS)
				I have no idea, Sarah. Any-
				way, I’ll talk to you later.
				SARAH
				Okay.
				PAULA (OS)
				Bye, dear.
PAULA can be heard hanging up the phone. SARAH hangs up as well.
				SARAH
				(sotto voce)
				Don’t do anything stupid,
				Molly. Craig loves you ...
				he’ll give you everything you
				want. And you sure as hell
				shouldn’t break off your en-
				gagement over my husband --
				you’re never gonna get him!
INT.		CHASE HOME		SAME
In the kitchen, DON sits at the table. COURTNEY stands, ready to leave, but he holds her back.
				DON
				Courtney, tell me what’s been
				bothering you.
				COURTNEY
				(takes a deep breath)
				It sounds really dumb, Dad...
				DON
				I’m sure it won’t. It should
				help to tell someone.
				COURTNEY
				I don’t know how to say this.
				You know I woke up from a bad
				dream a few nights ago, and I
				thought it was just a dream?
				DON
				Yeah ...
				COURTNEY
				I’ve been hearing the voices
				all the time. Not just in my
				sleep, but all the time. And
				when I stopped in the middle
				of the road, when that car
				almost hit me, the thing that
				scared me more than anything
				was that I didn’t notice it
				until it was right in front
				of me.
				DON
				You didn’t see it? You just
				need to look next time.
				COURTNEY
				I saw it, but my mind didn’t
				register what was going on.
Don sighs deeply, obviously worried.
				DON
				These voices -- what do they
				sound like?
Courtney debates her answer nervously.
INT.		SKATING RINK		SAME
JASON sits on a bench. SHANNON approaches from behind and takes a seat next to him.
				SHANNON
				What’s wrong?
				JASON
				I don’t know if it’s because
				of what almost happened to
				her or what, but I’m starting
				to wonder ...
				SHANNON
				Wonder what?
				JASON
				I wonder if I might actually
				like Courtney a little.
				SHANNON
				(stunned)
				What?!?
				JASON
				This whole thing has made
				me look at our friendship,
				and all I realize is how
				perfect she is, how she’s
				all the things I’d want in
				a girl, how my life could
				never be the same without
				her.
Out on Shannon, biting her lower lip in nervousness.
ACT THREE
INT.		FISHER HOME	MIDDAY
PAULA is organizing a stack of magazines on the coffee table in the living room. She pauses for a moment.
				PAULA
				(sotto voce)
				Molly, please, please, don’t
				do anything to screw up what
				you have with Craig. If you
				were to leave him for another
				man ... well, this other guy
				would really have to be some-
				one special.
INT.		SKATING RINK	SAME
SHANNON and JASON sit on the bleachers, in mid-conversation.
				SHANNON
				But ... you’ve been friends
				with Courtney for so long.
				Are you sure you’d want to
				risk screwing that up just
				to get all romantic with her?
				JASON
				I don’t know, Shannon. It’s
				way too soon to tell. Besides,
				I have no idea if -- and I
				kinda doubt -- that she feels
				the same way about me.
				SHANNON
				(relieved)
				That’s a good point.
				(beat)
				After all, there are millions
				of girls in the world to go
				out with, but there are only
				so many shots you might get
				at a friendship like the one
				you have with Courtney.
				JASON
				You’re right, you’re right.
				It was dumb of me to even
				say that.
				SHANNON (THINKING)
				I know I’m right, Jason. If
				you and Courtney start to
				have these "feelings" for
				each other, it’s gonna screw
				up everything for me, never
				mind your precious little
				friendship.
INT.		CHASE HOME	SAME
DON and COURTNEY are in the kitchen.
				DON
				So what do these voices sound
				like?
				COURTNEY
				Just voices -- taunting me.
				DON
				About what?
Courtney hesitates as she thinks.
				COURTNEY
				Being hurt, stuff like that.
				That I’m useless.
				DON
				Courtney, you know that’s not
				true. You’re not useless.
				COURTNEY
				I know, I know. But it’s just
				bugging me. It’s distracting
 				and annoying.
				DON
				Any idea where these are
				coming from?
				COURTNEY
				It always starts in my sleep
				and then carries over into
				my day.
				DON
				That’s really weird.
				(beat)
				Are you sure you don’t need
				some kind of help?
Out on Courtney, looking stunned by this possibility.
ACT FOUR
INT.		SARAH & BRENT’S APT.	MIDDAY
SARAH is cooking dinner.
				SARAH
				(sotto voce)
				I really hope Mom is wrong
				about Molly. I hope she just
				focuses on marrying Craig
				and forgets all about what
				happened between Brent and
				her.
										FADE TO:
FLASHBACK
INT.		BRENT’S APT.		NIGHT
MOLLY and BRENT kiss.
										FADE TO:
INT.		SARAH & BRENT’S APT.	MIDDAY
SARAH is cooking dinner.
				SARAH
				(sotto voce)
				No, I can’t let Molly or Brent
				find out that I saw them kiss.
				It might throw them together
				even more … I just have to make
				them feel so guilty that they
				stay away from each other –
				forever.
INT.		CHASE HOME	SAME
DON and COURTNEY are sitting in the kitchen.
				DON
				Are you sure you don’t need
				some kind of help?
				COURTNEY
				Absolutely! I’m not crazy!
				DON
				I know, Court, I know. I’m
				just worried about you.
				COURTNEY
				Besides, I’m just having some
				weird dreams. That’s the only
				problem.
				DON
				Fine. Forget I mentioned it.
He gets up to leave.
				COURTNEY
				I’m sorry, Dad.
Don turns around to face her.
				COURTNEY
(CONT’D)
I know you’re just worried.
I’m just really scared.
DON
You have a right to be. But
just remember that your mom
and I will always be here for
you.
COURTNEY
I know.
(beat)
I love you.
She gets up from her chair and hugs him.
INT.		FISHER HOME	SAME
PAULA is sitting on the couch reading when BILL enters.
				PAULA
				Oh, honey, you’re home!
				BILL
				That I am. Slow day at the
				restaurant.
				PAULA
				Well, I’m definitely happy
				about that.
				BILL
				Don’t be … too many more and
				we’ll be in trouble.
				PAULA
				We’re not in trouble yet, though,
				are we?
				BILL
				No, no – I was exaggerating.
				PAULA
				Oh, okay.
				BILL
				So what’s up?
				PAULA
				Not much. I talked to Sarah
				earlier – told her about her
				sister getting engaged.
				BILL
				Oh, good!
				PAULA
				She did say something that
				bothered me, though.
				BILL
				What was it?
				PAULA
				She’s been trying to get in
				touch with Tim and Claire,
				but neither of them seems to
				be around anywhere.
				BILL
				Hmm … I wonder where they could
				be.
EXT.		JUNGLE	AFTERNOON
TIM and CLAIRE step into a clearing, pushing aside branches to make a path.
				CLAIRE
				I can’t believe we’re doing
				this.
				TIM
				Neither can I. But we have to.
				The cops didn’t wanna look into
				that anonymous clue I was sent.
				CLAIRE
				So it’s up to us.
				TIM
				Right. And we’re not leaving
				until we find James and Travis.
END OF EPISODE #21

Main Page . Current Episode . Episode Archives . Story Recap . Characters . Making Prints . Interact . Around King's Bay . Links