DISBELIEF
By Martin Douglas
A woman lost her husband, James, in a fire that burned down
her house week earlier. She refuses to believe he is dead.
Sh has returned to the park across from her house everyday
since the fire to await her husbands return.
EXT. PARK BENCH -- DAY
A woman sits on a park bench staring at the remains of her
burned house. A man walks over in a long jacket, his face
covered with a scarf. He watches the woman for a moment.
MAN
Mind if I sit?
She doesn't respond and after a moment he sits down beside
her.
MAN (CONT'D)
Sure is a shame...
WOMAN
What is?
MAN
Bout the house.
WOMAN
That was my home.
MAN
Like I said, it's a shame. I heard
what happened.
WOMAN
What are you talking about?
MAN
It was in the paper bout your house
burning down and all. I'm awfully
sorry.
WOMAN
Sorry? Don't be sorry. It was just
a house.
MAN
I was referring to what happened to
your husband.
WOMAN
My husband?
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2.
MAN
Yeah, your husband. The paper said
he was ummmm...you know, he didn't
make it out.
WOMAN
What are you talking about? My
husband's fine.
MAN
Your husband he...he died in the
fire.
WOMAN
No he didn't. He's fine. He called
me before the fire. He said he had
a few things to do for his business.
I'm sure he just had to go out of
town to handle those things.
MAN
He's dead. They found his body in
the rubble.
WOMAN
No, that wasn't him. It was someone
else.
MAN
...Your husband loved you more than
you'll ever know.
WOMAN
You know him?
MAN
You could say that.
WOMAN
Did he say when he was coming back?
The man puts his hand on top of the woman's hand. He begins
to speak but chooses his words very carefully.
MAN
He's dead. He's not coming back,
but he wants you to know that he
loves you and that you can't go on
like this.
She looks down at the ground thinking for a few seconds.
WOMAN
Can you tell him that I love him and
miss him?
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3.
MAN
He knows that Kitten.
WOMAN
...Kitten? That's what my husband
use to call me when...
The woman looks to where the man was just sitting but he is
gone. She starts looking around.
WOMAN (CONT'D)
Mister?...Mister, where'd you go?
Come back please...James...James
please come back!
She collapses on the bench and begins to cry.