RAMBLINGS OF AN INSOMNIAC

By Jon Harman Episode 4 - Self Infliction (2nd draft)

COPYRIGHT JON HARMAN 2000 22ND October 2000

1. (INT. NIGHT. THE INSOMNIAC IS MOVING ROUND HIS FLAT SPRAYING HIS VARIOUS PLANTS, THERE IS SOMETHING SLIGHTLY AFFECTIONATE ABOUT THIS ACT. WE HAVEN'T REALLY SEEN THE INSOMNIAC LIKE THIS BEFORE) INSOMNIAC: They don't suffer from thought processes, just a biological chemical reaction to photosynthesis. They have roots unlike me, a simple spray of water like a dose of Prozac to invigorate them. (HE WALKS INTO HIS BEDROOM, THE GIRL FROM THE PREVIOUS EPISODE IS SPREAD OUT ON THE BED, DEAD FROM STRANGULATION) INSOMNIAC: I really got to get some help. TITLES 2. (INT. EVENING. WE FOLLOW THE INSOMNIAC DOWN A CORRIDOR. IT'S A VACATED OLD SCHOOL BUILDING. ALL THE CHILDREN HAVE GONE HOME FOR THE EVENING. HE IS TRYING TO FIND A ROOM, HE OBVIOUSLY HAS SOME FORM OF INSTRUCTIONS IN HIS HAND BUT HE IS LOST. A SOCIAL WORKER DRESSED IN CORDUROY APPROACHES) SOCIAL WORKER: Can I help? INSOMNIAC: I'm looking for the self-help group.

SOCIAL WORKER: Soap addiction, coping with elopitia, schizophrenia and me or insomnia 2000? INSOMNIAC: Insomnia 2000. SOCIAL WORKER: Should have known INSOMNIAC: What? SOCIAL WORKER: Panda eyes, first sign of insomnia. Third door on the left. INSOMNIAC: Oh right, thanks. 3. (INT. EVENING. WE ARE SAT IN A CIRCLE WITH A GROUP ALL LOOKING FAIRLY FORLORN. ANOTHER SOCIAL WORKER IS STOOD HOLDING A CAPTIVE AUDIENCE) PROF. MOON: I'm Professor Moon and in these sessions I am going to help you understand insomnia and start you on your road to peaceful nights sleep. Help yourself to coffee and biscuits at any time. First let's get to know one another, Mr Frazer if you would start. MR. FRAZER: My name's Mike and I've suffered from insomnia for six months now

(WE JUMPCUT TO THE INSOMNIAC SPEAKING) INSOMNIAC: I've had insomnia for ten years now, it derives from many sources, it's origin is still a mystery however. The insomnia is not the irritation though, I wish it was. It's the thoughts, the endless thoughts that I can do nothing with. I constantly flashback through countless thoughts and memories, fragmented moments at school. The memories never come back in any chronological order though. Just random factors. I remember my first day at primary school, there was this kid who hated being left by his mother. (THE SCENE INCORPORATES THE FOLLOWING WITHIN THE CLASSROOM WE ARE IN AS THE INSOMNIAC SPEAKS, THE PROFESSOR NODS SMUGLY AS HE CONTINUES) I mean, most kids didn't like being left there, but this kid was different. His mother was so obese she couldn't fit through the entrance doors of the school. That's why he was in our class, we had a fire escape door leading to the outside world. This was advantageous to their predicament because she could now coax her child into the classroom without the discomfort of trying to squeeze in the doors. All this maternal and parental effort to ease her son into the school establishment was wasted though, she had destroyed her efforts by allowing the other kids to see her fat fucking body tottering around like a fucking weeble. The other kid's mercilessly tortured the fat mama's son. I learnt at a young age that society is cruel, vindictive, evil even. This keeps me awake at night and causes me to stab out at the world. That's why I kill people. (NOBODY ACKNOWLEDGES THE LAST STATEMENT)

PROF. MOON: What do you think happened to the kid? INSOMNIAC: He's probably got a lot more fucking problems than my insomnia. 4. (EXT. DAY. WE ARE AT THE TOP OF A MULTI STOREY CAR PARK AS A MAN JUMPS OFF THE EDGE. THE BODY COMES FLYING PASS CAMERA. WE QUICKLY ZOOM INTO THE INSOMNIAC WHO HAS WITNESSED THIS AND EXPLAINED THE SCENARIO IN AN EARLIER EPISODE, THE SUICIDE IS THE FAT MAMA'S SON) 5. (INT. EVENING. WE ARE BACK IN THE SELF HELP CLASS) PROF. MOON: Do you kill men and women Sam? INSOMNIAC: Yes, mainly women though. PROF. MOON: Why is that Ted? INSOMNIAC: It hurts society more. Hurts like it hurt me. PROF. MOON: If you wanted to hurt society, why not children. Surely that would cripple society more, wouldn't it Peter? INSOMNIAC: No, that would just cause outrage. I don't want that.

PROF. MOON: Why do you think no-one has realised what you're doing Jeffrey? INSOMNIAC: Nobody cares anymore, just surrounded by apathy. Totally desensitised to everything around us until it's too late. Then we panic, then we moralise, but it's all too fucking late! All my actions are on my website, you're nobody in this century without a website, 100,000 hits and still nobody has done anything. They revolutionise communication systems and yet nobody can truly talk to one another. (AND AS IF NOTHING HAS HAPPENED AND WE QUESTION WHETHER IT TRULY DID) PROF. MOON: Okay, that's the end of this session, see you next week at 7.30. Thankyou. (EVERYBODY STARTS TO LEAVE, THE INSOMNIAC APPROACHES THE PROFESSOR RATHER AWKWARDLY) INSOMNIAC: Could you recommend some medication? PROF. MOON: What for exactly? INSOMNIAC: To help me sleep. I need to sleep.

PROF.MOON: Apple for you Gregor. (INSOMNIAC LOOKS CONFUSED AS THE PROFESSOR HANDS HIM SOME TABLETS) Before you start climbing the walls. (HE ACCEPTS AND LOOKS THANKFUL AS IF SOMEONE TRULY UNDERSTANDS) 6. (INT. NIGHT. WE ARE IN THE INSOMNIACS FLAT ONCE AGAIN, HE IS STUDYING A BEETLE CLIMBING ONE OF THE WALLS. HE TAKES HIS SHOE AND CRUSHES IT. IT'S DISABLED BODY SPLAYED HELPLESSLY ACROSS THE EMULSION. HE SITS DOWN AT HIS COMPUTER AND WE TAKE THE POINT OF VIEW FROM HIS WEBCAM AND THE PICTURE QUALITY IS AFFECTED ACCORDINGLY) INSOMNIAC: Self help is pointless. Nobody can ever really hope to understand me, all this pre-amble is merely a vague stab at explanation and it's difficult to diffuse what is truly real or blatantly honest. This isn't just about the world around me, it's about the world inside me, my inhibitions have created a vacuum and I merely contain my own disbelief at actions that bear so many consequences. If I'm going to help myself, I'm going to need more than a cup of coffee and a couple of pills. I need a sign. (WITH THAT THE CAMERA CLICKS OFF TO BLACK) 7. (EXT. DAY. WE ARE OUTSIDE A TRAIN STATION, THE INSOMNIAC IS STANDING THERE WITH A RED ROSE IN HIS HAND, JUST WAITING. A WOMAN APPROACHES, ALSO CARRYING A RED ROSE, THEY BOTH APPEAR AWKWARD)

GRETA: Hi, I'm Greta and you must be INSOMNIAC: Yes I am. How are you? GRETA: Fine and you? INSOMNIAC: Yeah. Sorry I've never done this before. GRETA: Dated? INSOMNIAC: No, just never dated in this fashion before. It's somewhat bizarre. GRETA: Well love is strange. INSOMNIAC: People take it for a game. GRETA: Yes. INSOMNIAC: So, you ever date this way before? Because, I mean, you seem too beautiful to rely on this mode of transport.

GRETA: London is a stranger's paradise, this way I know that the other person has made a concerted effort to find something, rather than bumped into it haphazardly. So few people have real conviction these days. INSOMNIAC: I blame the CPS. GRETA: Sorry, I don't follow. INSOMNIAC: Crown Prosecution Services, it was a joke, a joke about conviction. GRETA: Oh I see, yes, (LAUGHS) You're very witty aren't you. INSOMNIAC: You don't have to humour me, I ask for very little. GRETA: I think we're going to get on well, we have a common bond. INSOMNIAC: Such as? GRETA: A healthy level of disdain for the world. In another story we may have been brother and sister.

INSOMNIAC: I never had brothers and sisters, just myself. GRETA: And I'm a child of divorce, maybe we've both had an over indulgence in solitary confinement. INSOMNIAC: Maybe. GRETA: Would you like to go and get a coffee? INSOMNIAC: That would be great. They start to walk. GRETA: So tell me about yourself, what makes you special? INSOMNIAC: I'm an insomniac and I'm trying to find a cure. GRETA: Sometimes the cure has to find you. INSOMNIAC: What do you mean? GRETA: That you have to give in to acceptance and not expect so much.

INSOMNIAC: How about that coffee? END TITLES