THE WHITE ROOM

By

James Brindley

James Brindley
18a Grange Road
Gloucester
+447531620147
james.brindley@live.co.uk
First Draft
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SCENE HEADER

Darkness fills the screen, then a light is turned on to show

a single chair isolated in the room. CHARLIE walks over and
sits on the chair, with an eerie silence in the air, Black
background.

CHARLIE
Hello, whoever ends up
watching this, I need you to
know one thing. I have no
regrets about life.

Slug and then it goes to an already seated DAMIEN sat down

on the chair sat in a rigid position to show discomfort,
Black Background.

DAMIEN
(Timidly)
Hello? I’m not really one to
be talking to a therapist, but
if it helps then it’s worth
it.

Slug and then cut to HARRY sat down in the same chair as
Damien and Charlie. Harry is sat up in a more prominent
discomfort.

HARRY
I don’t want to do this.
Nobody will listen to this.
It’s a waste of time.

Harry goes to stand up, but is told to sit down by a NURSE

and to talk to VOICE.

NURSE
Harry, sit down while the
voice talks to you

HARRY
Okay, I’ll sit here for a
little bit

VOICE
Harry, why don’t you want to
do this? (O/S)

HARRY
Because it won’t help me in
any way
 3

VOICE
What makes you think that?
(O/S)

HARRY
This is supposedly to help us
conquer the fear of death, but
what can you say to help me?

CUT TO CHARLIE LEANT BACK IN CHAIR.

VOICE
Charlie, how do you feel about
dying? (O/S)

CHARLIE
I don’t know really, I guess
it will just take us all in,
step by step. I’m not scared I
know that much.

VOICE
Good, Death is only the
gateway to the better place
(O/S)

CHARLIE
The better place? Are you on
about heaven?

VOICE
You could say that (O/S)

CUT TO DAMIEN SAT IN CHAIR

DAMIEN
So who is “the voice”?

VOICE
You don’t need to know (O/S)

DAMIEN
I think it’s only fair, you
are going to know everything
about me, I should know about
you

VOICE
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Okay, what shall we start

with? (O/S)

DAMIEN
What’s your name?

VOICE
That’s not important, what
else do you want to know?
(O/S)

DAMIEN
How did they choose you to be
the person that does all of
this?

VOICE
I was chosen from a select
group, I was proven to have
the most soothing voice (O/S)

CUT TO HARRY SAT IN CHAIR

VOICE
Harry you need to realize that
this is good for you (O/S)

HARRY
What makes you think that?

VOICE
People have walked in here
with the world on their
shoulders, and walked out
feeling at solace with the
world

HARRY
You really believe that?

VOICE
I really do, now let’s start,
and tell me about your family
(O/S)

HARRY
I don’t really have any family

VOICE
No? Why is this? (O/S)
 5

HARRY
They just aren’t here anymore

VOICE
Did they pass over? (O/S)

HARRY
If that’s what you call it,
yeah?

VOICE
Then death will surely re-
connect you with them (O/S)

HARRY
I’m not sure I want to be
connected with them

VOICE
But they are your family, how
did they die? (O/S)

HARRY
A fire was started in my house
a year ago, I was meant to be
at home, but I stayed out a
bit longer because my parents
were angry at me.

VOICE
They left this world on bad
terms? (O/S)

HARRY
Yeah, you could say that…

CUT TO CHARLIE SAT IN CHAIR.

CHARLIE
So you’re religious? I’m not
really religious; I was
brought up in a religious
household which sort of turned
me against it

VOICE
What is your family like?
(O/S)

CHARLIE
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They are a really nice bunch

of people, but as I’m not
religious we don’t get on as
well as I hoped we would

VOICE
Do you talk to them often?
(O/S)

CHARLIE
Not a lot, they don’t even
know about this illness

VOICE
Why haven’t you told them?
(O/S)

CHARLIE
Because I haven’t had time

VOICE
What’s the real reason? (O/S)

CHARLIE
I just haven’t okay?

VOICE
No, what’s wrong? (O/S)

CHARLIE
I guess it’s because, to them
I’ve always been a “macho”
guy, when I told them I was
giving up on religion, they
took it really bad, and I just
shrugged it off

VOICE
So you are scared about how
they see you? (O/S)

CHARLIE
As a child I never wanted to
get hurt, because I didn’t
want to cry

VOICE
Are you an only child? (O/S)

CHARLIE
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Yeah, never had any brothers

or sisters

VOICE
No girlfriend or anything?
(O/S)

CHARLIE
I almost got married once, but
that was way too early for me
to commit to something like
that

CUT TO DAMIEN SAT FORWARD IN CHAIR

DAMIEN
Have you got any family?

VOICE
Damien, this is really meant
to be about you, not me (O/S)

DAMIEN
Just answer that, last
question, I promise.

VOICE
Yes, I have two kids (O/S)

DAMIEN
That’s nice, what are their
names?

VOICE
Damien, that’s it, now on to
you (O/S)

DAMIEN
What about me?

VOICE
You must have family yes?
(O/S)

DAMIEN
Yes, they’re sometimes too
much

VOICE
What do you mean? (O/S)
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DAMIEN
They are always fussing about
me, they never let me get on,
never let me, have that sense
of independence

VOICE
It must be nice at times?
(O/S)

DAMIEN
Not really, they are just
constantly bothering me, when
I told them about this
illness, they didn’t react any
different compared to if I
told them that I’d got my
driving license

VOICE
How did they react? (O/S)

DAMIEN
They got the whole family
round and had a big get
together, what a pain

VOICE
I think you should be grateful
of what you have got; some
people don’t even have that
(O/S)

DAMIEN
Yeah, People have been saying
that for years

VOICE
How do you feel about dying?
(O/S)

DAMIEN
I don’t mind. I suppose that
it’s in some way a blessing of
kinds, the way I see it, We
get given a set time on earth
and I’m glad mine is over, my
parents annoy the hell out of
me

VOICE
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You shouldn’t wish for death,

it’s a punishment (O/S)

CUT TO CHARLIE SAT FORWARD IN CHAIR

VOICE
Charlie, your attitude towards
this, shows that you really do
love your family (O/S)

CHARLIE
I do love them, but they just
don’t understand me that well

VOICE
Because you’re not religious
(O/S)

CHARLIE
I guess so

VOICE
You should call them, they
will understand if you tell
them the truth (O/S)

CHARLIE
I really doubt it

VOICE
Just do it, Charlie this is
the end of this session. Do
you feel better about dying?
(O/S)

CHARLIE
A bit I suppose

VOICE
Charlie, just make sure you
phone them before tomorrow
(O/S)

CUT TO HARRY SAT BACK IN CHAIR.

VOICE
Harry, I’m sure your family
has forgiven you (O/S)
 10

HARRY
I don’t care whether they have
or not, they shouldn’t have
died

VOICE
You think it was their fault?
(O/S)

HARRY
Of course it was, they
shouldn’t have died

VOICE
They couldn’t be helped (O/S)

HARRY
How would you know? You didn’t
even know them

VOICE
I’ve heard things (O/S)

HARRY
What? What have you heard?

VOICE
Just little things, but I know
that it wasn’t their fault
(O/S)

HARRY
Tell me what you heard!

VOICE
They were poisoned before the
house was set on fire (O/S)

HARRY
But I, I was meant to be there
that night, I could have died

VOICE
It was fate that let you
escape death (O/S)

HARRY
I’d rather have died knowing
what I know now

VOICE
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Its okay, Harry this session

is over, and I need you to
leave the room (O/S)

HARRY
No, I need to stay here and
talk to you, what else do you
know?

VOICE
Harry, you have to leave the
room (O/S)

Harry is escorted out by the nurse and a helpful body guard.

HARRY
Leave me alone, let me stay

CUT TO DAMIEN SAT ON CHAIR

VOICE
Damien, if you would just take
a second to realise that you
have something which most
people would die for (O/S)

DAMIEN
What do you mean?

VOICE
Lots of people would love to
be surrounded by family,
someone to love and care for
them no matter what (O/S)

DAMIEN
Well they say the grass is
always greener…

VOICE
No, there are people out there
who would do anything to be in
the position you are in now,
with family and people who
love and care for you
unconditionally (O/S)

DAMIEN
I’m going
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VOICE
This session is over, Damien,
if you could please leave the
room (O/S)

DAMIEN
With pride

FADE OUT TO BLACK

WHILST A BLACK SCREEN THERE ARE THE VOICES SHOWN, DAMIEN

RINGING HIS PARENTS.

DAMIEN
Mum, dad? Hey, is everyone
there? Great. Listen I just
want to take a second to thank
you for always being there,
and listening to me (V/O)

CHARLIE
Hey Dad, How are you? Are you
busy? Good, I’m so sorry that
I have been detached from you,
especially since Mum died

HARRY
Dear God, I know you have my
family up there, Say sorry to
them for me being such an
idiot, I didn’t know the whole
story, Guess I never stopped
to listen

HARRY / CHARLIE / DAMIEN / VOICE

If I die tomorrow, the one
thing I want to know is that
I’m at solace with this world

FADE OUT TO CREDITS

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