*The camera pans an empty room. A chair and a bottle half full sit in one corner next to the mirrored closet door. It focuses and stays focused looking at the feet of the chair.
You hear the door open and close as footsteps approach. Someone sits down in the chair. He is well dressed in a dark suit. The light is low and the camera stays focused on the feet. *
Man A: “Well don’t you look good.”
Man B: “Good? Well, I’m not sure about that, but I know I look better than I should.”
*The camera pans over to the first voice showing only his cracked smile grilling as he opened the can of worms that was the next question.
A: “You not happy about some of the decisions you’ve made?”
*Back to shoes and bottle half full
B: “Yeah, I’ve followed suit for the decisions you’re supposed to make. They were risky bets and I knew the stakes.”
*Hearing footsteps pacing the camera follows the shoes and knees and they sit on the bed in the room. There is a bottle empty .
A: “And you still feel like they’re decisions you shouldn’t have made?”
*slowly move ( and continue) from one par of shoes to the other never with both in the same frame
B:” They were what you are supposed to do. What people tell you to do. The things you’re supposed to find out for yourself. “
A: “Well weren’t they all made for your self-benefit and a chance at wealth?”
B: “Yeah and all it did was deplete those and destroy my health”
*Back to shoes and bottle empty
A: “Well maybe if you didn’t smoke drink or take anything else…”
*To the body of the second man angerly leaving his chair before his response.
B: “Fuck you I haven’t had two beers in the same night in over six months. No hard alcohol and I only smoke when I have to. No nicotine, just green when I need my head pain clean.”
*Back to shoes on bed and bottle empty
A: “So then what was the problem?”
*Shoes pacing the room stop for the answer
B: “All the decisions I made were the smart ones you make to get to the yard with greener
grass. Yet, all of them came back to bite me in the ass.”
*The first man chuckles audibly as it shows his hand goes down t make sure the bottle on the floor is empty.
A: “Well there’s always more women and another chance.”
Back to the second man’s feet in the chair with the half-full bottle
B: “Fuck you, I want my old life back.”
*The camera goes to show a hand putting a cigarette into an ashtray next to a bottle of trazadone on the nightstand.
A: “Why would you want something like that?”
A: “If it could happen and you made different decisions but ended up in the same place you’d have a heart attack.”
*The second man stands out of the chair and knocks the bottle over. You see it pour onto the floor as his voice begins to quietly break
B: “That’s not the point or the reason why. Since I was broken as a child making others happy is the only way I’m happy in life.”
*Back to the body of the first man on the bed. Face still cropped out as the cig ashes on his suit and his voice lowers.
A: “ Yeah, I’m aware.
I couldn’t agree less though, I think you’re just scared.
You’re in a gunfight and only brought a knife.”
*The second man sitting in the chair with his head in his hands as he pulls his hair out. Never showing his face just his frustration.
B: “Yeah, sometimes it hurts to only cry on the inside.”
Back to the mouth of the first man as he blurbs.
A: “Come on, you know you’ll catch a break sometime. “
*Following the hand as the first man picks the cigarette back up to his mouth. It shows the bottle open and pills scattered.
B: “Yeah the last time I did it put me in your position. Instead of one, there’s two of them stuck in my mind.”
*Man A stands up with face still cropped it shows the body stand and the back of the man as he starts to yell.
A: “Well what do you want me to tell you we aren’t the same man.
You’ve changed so much you’re not sure of your own plans.
And you didn’t make a move so now, nevermind, god damn…”
*The second man standing with his hands covering his face and eyes glued to the ground. With a huff he releases the steam
B: “Fuck you, I stand where I stand.
Not happy but I do what I can.”
*The first walking away throwing his hands up. He’s walking away. He’s done
A: “Yeah, well don’t listen to the others and hope it all falls right in your fuckin’ lap”
*Shows the second man go back down to sitting in the chair in the corner
B:” I’m just done with this shit and I’m going my own way,
against or with the grain”
*Stay on the second man.
A: “Well you’re retarded but we knew that already. Instead of sticking with it you’re gonna just go for gold on your own? Just remember to call me when you’re done so I can tell you you’ve been played.”
*Man B, full view, no crop, sitting in the chair with his eyes stuck on the half-lit room light. Hands at his side and perplexed.
B: “I should have stayed”
*Over to Man A’s back as he pacing and yelling. Waving his hands to make his point. Never showing his face, just his anger
A: “What the hell! You won’t get laid, won’t get paid, diggin’ yourself an early grave, and worst of all your friends won’t look at you the same.”
*Back to the second man now standing up as he gives what will be his final lines
B: “That’s not what I’ve been about in years.
Not since the car crash and crying without tears...
*Camera is above the wall. It shows no men, just the sound of the conversation and a mirror.
...I haven’t cut myself yet I continue to bleed.
They are my old friends but not the one I need.
I’m done with this life in this cage.
And I’m done with you and the mistakes I’ve made”
*Man B stands up and with a clenched bare fist, he shoves it through the glass of the mirror.
Back to the shot of just the mirror as it shatters. The blood drips down through the cracks of broken glass. The camera shutters and slowly starts to sway back and forth as it fades to black.