———–<.thom.>———–

THE GREAT WORKS PROJECT

a puppet play in many parts

Season 04, Episode 03

By Thomas Typewriter

(C) 2022 THOMAS TYPEWRITER

———–<:type:>———–

FADE IN TO BLACK

From the bottom center of the frame scrolls up the following text: “04-03”. It moves up along the center of the frame, pausing for a moment in the middle of the frame before ultimately exiting through the top.

FADE OUT

FADE IN

INT. S-MOUSE’S OFFICE, AFTERNOON
An oblong office with walls lined by ornate cabinets made of carved wood overlain with intricate metal screens. The shelves of the cabinets are overflowing with various dioramas inside large clear glass bottles. A heavy wooden desk sits in the center of the room with S-MOUSE mid project. His various tools sit off to the side next to the base of a swivel arm light and magnifying glass. Behind the desk stands the one area of the wall not covered by cabinets. A small gap in the cabinets allows room for a door to S-Mouse’s Apartment. The door currently has a motivational poster of a snake hanging on a tree limb with the text: “Snakes Seldom Shiver”.

FADE IN FROM THE BLACK TO A VERY CLOSE SHOT OF THE INSIDE OF THE GLASS BOTTLE ON S-MOUSE’S DESK.

We can see S-Mouse through the curved glass of the bottle, which he refers to as a Story-in-a-Bottle. He pulls out a jar of white sand and pours it into the bottle. He then uses a long tongue depressor to smooth out the sand. Soon S-Mouse switches to a long thin needle-nose plier. He wiggles two tall canyons drawn onto paper and cut out to an upright position. KNOCK KNOCK from out of the frame.

CUT TO MS OF S-MOUSE AT HIS DESK

S-MOUSE
“Come in.”

A-MOUSE enters the office. S-Mouse rises and wipes off his hands. A-Mouse walks to the desk and they shake hands.

S-MOUSE
“Hi.”

A-MOUSE
“Hi.”

S-MOUSE
“Here, have a seat. (points to an open chair) Can I offer you anything? A drink maybe.”

A-MOUSE
“Thanks, but no. On the drink I mean. I have to be leaving soon.”

S-MOUSE
“So this is not a social visit.”

A-MOUSE
“Unfortunately not. I came by to get your food order. Y-Mouse is calling an all-nighter tonight.”

S-MOUSE
“Sounds serious.”

A-MOUSE
“Don’t know. I hope not, but my mind always races to the worst.”

S-MOUSE
“So it does. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

A-MOUSE
“Hopefully. So what would you like to eat at the meeting.”

S-MOUSE
“Where are you going?”

A-MOUSE
“The Gutenberg Bagel over at Mall X.”

S-MOUSE
“I think I have one of their menus somewhere around here.”

S-Mouse reaches behind him and opens a drawer. He rifles through the desk before pulling out a menu for The Gutenberg Bagel.

A-MOUSE
“Can I ask you something?”

S-MOUSE
(putting on reading glasses) “Sure.”

A-MOUSE
“Do you think it’s serious. The meeting tonight. The reason for it I mean.”

S-Mouse pauses and looks over the menu at A-Mouse

S-MOUSE
“Honestly.”

A-MOUSE
“Yes.”

S-MOUSE
“Well, then yes I am concerned. Thomas seemed troubled, exposed. Things will probably get worse for him before they get better.”

A-MOUSE
“Oh.“

S-MOUSE
“No, don’t take it like that. It is not all doom and gloom. Things will get better. Absolutely. When things seem unsure, when we feel exposed, when our sense of self gets rattled, that’s when change happens. Growth is movement against weakness, the conversion of absence to fullness. When we are capable of true empathy, true growth.”

A moment of silence passes.

S-MOUSE
“You okay?”

A-MOUSE
“Yes, no, yes..no not really. I’m feeling really anxious.” (gestures to all around) “Why are we even here.”

S-MOUSE
“Oh.”

A-MOUSE
“Thomas could easily write stories on his own but instead he imagines us, this funhouse mirror version of a 1950’s TV show writer’s staff.”

S-MOUSE
“I think we’re more of a riff on a bit from the Monkee’s.”

A-MOUSE
“Sure but what if he realizes he doesn’t need us. What if we fix his stories, fix his life, and then he outgrows us.”

S-MOUSE
“Maybe that is the reason he came up with us.”

A-MOUSE
“But what happens to us.”

S-MOUSE
“We go to oblivion till he needs us again.”

INSERT CS OF A-MOUSE’S ALARMED EXPRESSION

S-MOUSE
“No, I can see that did not help. Let me rephrase: We face oblivion regardless. Sure Thomas could realize we are a coping mechanism as you fear and outgrows us. But he will also die at some point, and by extension we will die too.”

A-MOUSE
“How do you live with that?

S-MOUSE
“I remind myself that with each day the time we have with those we care about grows less, never grows more. I can spend my shrinking time looking at what I have lost or spend it looking at what remains. Filling the shrinking jar with listening, laughing, loving, telling stories.”

A-Mouse perks up a little bit. S-Mouse pulls out a scrap piece of paper and pen and starts writing.

S-MOUSE
“Here is my order, along with a kind word or two from a friend in case you start feeling lost again. (hands note to A-Mouse) You better go on now.”

A-Mouse stands up and walks out. She pauses at the door.

A-MOUSE
“Thank you.”

S-MOUSE
“You’re welcome.”

A-Mouse exits. S-Mouse returns to his desk. He feeds into the bottle three thin paper elements.

CUT TO EXTREME CLOSE SHOT OF INSIDE OF BOTTLE

Using the long pliers, he sets them up. A tree, a road sign, and a woman in white dress stand before the far canyon walls on a plain of white sand.

CUT BACK TO MS OF S-MOUSE AT DESK.

S-Mouse scoots back from his desk and takes a final review of the story-in-a-bottle. He nods approval. Standing, S-Mouse walks the finished story-in-a-bottle to an empty shelf. He returns to his desk, opens a drawer, and removes two shot glasses and a bottle of scotch. He returns to the shelf with the newly finished story-in-a-bottle, pours a shot for himself and one for it. He grabs his glass and holds it up in a salute.

S-MOUSE
“To our now, to our future, and to all our points in between.”

He clinks his shot glass against the story-in-a-bottle’s and downs his. He picks up the second shot glass.

S-MOUSE
“If you’re not going to drink that, do you mind if I do? No?”

S-Mouse drinks the second shot glass of scotch. He picks up the glasses and the bottle of scotch. He returns them to the desk. Sand CRUNCHES underfoot.

S-MOUSE
“Got sand everywhere. Better sweep up. Now where did I put that broom.”

S-Mouse goes over to his apartment. Exits through the door.

FADE OUT