A Brother's Hold

The screenplay version of a story written by Archia

                                                         FADE IN:

          EXT. GRAVE SITE - MORNING

          AERIAL VIEW ON - CEMETARY

          A girl stands by a headstone with a single white lily in her

          hand. She slowly rests it across the bottom of the stone

          which reads out the name of a young boy who had too much to

          live for. She stares blankly at it while tears fall down her

          cheeks.

          ANGLE ON - HEADSTONE

          PAN: FACE OF GIRL

                              GIRL (V.O.)

                         (continuing)

                    I've had a year to cry without him.

                    He had said that it took two years

                    to be happy again. So I had only

                    one more year to dry the tears that

                    came every night. I only hoped that

                    this time it didn't take so long.

          INT. KITCHEN - MORNING

          SUPERIMPOSE - One year later

          The girl sits at the island counter that is centered in the

          middle of the kitchen of a nice suburban home. An older

          woman, her mother, stands at the sink with an open purse

          beside her. A few muffled bumps and bangs come from the

          other room, and the girl turns her head slightly towards the

          noise. A man walks in, her father.

                              FATHER

                    Well, dear, we're leaving for the

                    Doctor's office in ten minutes, so

                    you might want to change into

                    something more... appropriate.

                              GIRL

                         (looks at her clothing)

                    What's wrong with a large

                    sweatshirt and some jeans? I'm not

                    meeting the president, dad.

                              MOTHER

                         (in a strained voice)

                    Just, do as your father asks,

                    sweetheart. Today could be a big

                    day for us, we wouldn't want to

                    ruin it, would we?

          The mother anxiously dries her hands off after rinsing them

          under the faucet. The girl glances at both of her parents

          before getting up to change upstairs. Once she is gone, the

          mother and father share a nervous look after which the

          mother clears her throat and zips her purse closed.

                                                          CUT TO:

          EXT. FRONT PORCH - LATER

          ANGLE ON - FRONT DOOR

          The mother walks out first, expressionless, with a set of

          keys in her hand. The father follows in suit, but hesitates

          at the door frame.

                              FATHER

                    Let's go, Isabella, or we'll be

                    late.

                         (mutters)

                    Again.

                              ISABELLA (O.S.)

                    I'm coming!

          The father shakes his head and walks down the front steps,

          leaving the door open. Isabella soon comes to the door with

          a jacket in hand. She shuts the door behind her and locks

          it, trotting down the steps towards her mother's car.

          PAN: Follow Isabella to car

          Isabella opens her door, jumps inside, and shuts it sharply.

          The car backs down the driveway and into the street, turning

          towards the main road.

                                                          CUT TO:

          EXT. CAR ON THE HIGHWAY

          Isabella is seen looking thoughtfully out the window as the

          view circles to the front of the car where the mother and

          father both sit tensely in their seats.

                                                     DISSOLVE TO:

          EXT. HOSPITAL - AFTERNOON

         ANGLE ON - FRONT OF HOSPITAL

          The family walks in together. Isabella trails behind.

          INT. PATIENT ROOM WITH DOCTOR

          The Doctor sits in a desk chair that looks out of place. The

          parents sit uncomfortably on two plastic chairs by the door

          while Isabella sits on the platform meant for operations.

          She brings her feet up to sit cross-legged and the plastic

          sheet covering the surface crinkles under her thighs.

                              DOCTOR

                         (coughs)

                    Well, we have some news for you. A

                    new treatment has been created, and

                    while it's still under some slight

                    investigation...

                         (beat)

                    it could be your cure.

          Both parents sigh with relief and the mother gets up to

          throw an arm over Isabella's shoulder. She squeezes her

          gently and rubs her arm. The father stands and shakes the

          Doctor's hand.

                              FATHER

                         (whispers)

                    Thank you.

                              DOCTOR

                    So I'm guessing you would like to

                    undertake it?

                              MOTHER

                    Of course we would.

                              FATHER

                    Yes, most definitely.

                              ISABELLA

                    No.

          Silence overcomes the party of four. All freeze except for

          Isabella, who slowly lets herself down from her seat. She

          walks to the door and turns to face her parents and the

          Doctor.

                              MOTHER

                         (continuing)

                    Don't worry honey, it will be okay.

                    It's not going to do anything bad.

                    The treatment can only help, I

                    mean-

                              ISABELLA

                         (interrupts)

                    No, I'm not doing it.

                              ISABELLA (V.O.)

                    They couldn't change my mind. As

                    they shared a worried look, all I

                    could do was walk away. I wouldn't

                    let them to make the decisions that

                    would control my life. It was my

                    time now. My time to decide.

          INT. PATIENT ROOM - NIGHT

          SUPERIMPOSE - Six months later

          Isabella is laying on a hospital bed, staring at the

          ceiling.

                              ISABELLA (V.O.)

                    I was seventeen now, nearly a legal

                    adult. I knew that death was coming

                    early for me. Who didn't know by

                    now? I was here for the last time,

                    that was certain. I wasn't scared,

                    though. Not even a little bit. My

                    brother always said he would be

                    there with me, when I die.

          FLASHBACK:

                              BROTHER

                    Don't worry sis, don't be scared.

          A brother and younger version of Isabella sit on the bed

          that lay in her brother's room. Isabella is twiddling her

          thumbs and her brother rests a hand on her knee. She looks

          up slowly at him.

                              ISABELLA

                    But, I am. I'm afraid to die,

                    aren't you?

                              BROTHER

                         (hesitates)

                    Just don't make your last moments

                    bad. Think about the good times

                    instead. Think about how much we

                    all love you.

          He smiles gently and pulls Isabella into a hug. She sighs

          and lets go to fall back onto the bed.

                              BROTHER

                    Don't worry. When you die, I'll be

                    there.

          Isabella smiles softly and her brother joins her lying down

          on his bed.

          FLASH FORWARD TO PRESENT TIME:

                              ISABELLA

                    The clock is ticking, Isabella.

          A clock indeed ticks in the distance, and Isabella closes

          her eyes.

          PAN: OUT INTO HALLWAY AND TO THE PARKING LOT

          ANGLE ON - LAMPPOST

                              ISABELLA (V.O.)

                         (continuing)

                    It was right then that I knew he

                    was with me, just like he promised.

                    I had had more than enough time.

                    One year for crying, and another

                    for drying my tears. Now all that

                    was left was happiness.

          CLOSE UP ON - STRANGER

          A shadowed man leans against the lamppost that is dimly lit

          in the dark parking lot. The glow of the fluorescent light

          encompasses him and a hat is tipped low over his clouded

          face.

                              BROTHER (V.O.)

                    When you die, I'll be there.

                              ISABELLA (V.O.)

                    And he was.

          The man lifts the hat up in the slightest, and reveals he is

          Isabella's brother. A gentle smile stretches across his

          face. He shoves off from the post and walks towards the

          hospital.

          ANGLE ON - BACK OF BROTHER

          He continues to walk towards the front door, and from the

          distance all that is seen is a dark spec among the buzzing

          building.

                                                         FADE OUT

Reviews

[Archia]

Oh I loved it. I almost cried and I already knew what was going to happen. When I was reading it, I could just imagine watching it, and seeing them all. I loved at the end how the brother turned up and he spoke and then she spoke, oh it was so good. Thank you so much for writing this, it was wonderful.

[Emma Pond]

I'm really glad you liked it because I thought it wasn't so great and I picked the ending of the story because I imagined this happening in like a movie. I wasn't sure how it was going to come out, but I'm really really happy that you think its wonderful!

[Archia]

It's great, you really don't need to think it's not great at all because I love it.