THROUGH THE LENS

Written by

Annie Foley
Alex Block
 FADE IN:

MONDAY (NORMAL) *

INT. JAMES’ LIVING ROOM - MORNING *

The morning sun streaks through the dusty blinds, hitting

JAMES (60s) square in the eyes.

He groans, stretching his limbs like an old cat before

sitting up, still in his PJs.

James grabs his MONDAY pills from a weekly pill container.

The other day slots are empty, except for TUESDAY.

INT. JAMES’ LIVING ROOM - LATER (MORNING) *

In front of the mirror, James straightens his collar shirt.

He reaches for his tie, where a sticky note reads, “Place tie
here”.

James puts on his tie.

There’s a “Tie check-in/out” chart on his mirror. James marks

“out” for Monday.

INT. JAMES’ FRONT DOOR - MID-DAY *

It’s mid-day; the light is much brighter in the apartment.

James leaves through the front door.

INT. JAMES’ FRONT DOOR - EVENING *

James enters his apartment as the evening light filters in

through the window.

He locks the door behind him, grabbing an audio recorder from

the table.

JAMES
Locked the door at 5pm.

INT. JAMES’ LIVING ROOM - LATER (EVENING) *

James stands by the window with his trusty Polaroid camera

ready.
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Through the window, flowers almost ready to bloom in the

planter, and beyond that, EMILY’s apartment.

Emily exits her apartment with a camera and waves at James. *

He waves back and snaps a picture of the flowers. Emily’s
caught in the background.

INT. JAMES’ LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

James stands in front of the mirror, removing his tie. He

hangs it on the mirror where the sticky note instructs.

He marks “in” for MONDAY on the tie chart.

INT. JAMES’ LIVING ROOM - LATER (NIGHT) *

James settles onto the couch in his PJs, reaching for the
remote. A sticky note marks its designated spot. He turns on *
the TV to his favorite show and quickly dozes off.

TUESDAY (NORMAL) *

INT. JAMES’ LIVING ROOM - MORNING *

The morning sun peers through the window. James, still in his
PJs, wakes up on the couch.

James checks the pill container and takes his TUESDAY pills.

INT. JAMES’ LIVING ROOM - LATER (MORNING) *

In front of the mirror, James straightens his tie. He marks

“out” for TUESDAY on the chart.

INT. JAMES’ FRONT DOOR - MID-DAY *

It’s mid-day with bright light flooding the apartment. James

leaves through the front door.

INT. JAMES’ FRONT DOOR - EVENING *

James enters the apartment, locking the door behind him.

He grabs the audio recorder and hits record.

JAMES
Locked door at 5:02pm.
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INT. JAMES’ LIVING ROOM - LATER (EVENING) *

James stands at the window, Polaroid in hand. Outside, one of *

the flowers blooms.

Emily exits her apartment with a camera in hand and waves at *

James. *

James waves back, snapping a picture of the blooming flower.

Emily is caught in the background again.

INT. JAMES’ LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

James admires his appearance in the mirror. He removes his

tie and hangs it on the mirror where the sticky note
indicates. James checks in the tie on the chart for TUESDAY.

INT. JAMES’ LIVING ROOM - LATER (NIGHT) *

James settles on to the couch for the night in his PJs. He

grabs the remote from it’s designated spot and turns on the
TV to his favorite light TV show. He falls a sleep.

WEDNESDAY (ROUTINE DISRUPTS) *

INT. JAMES’ LIVING ROOM - MORNING *

The morning sun peers through the window onto James, sleeping
on the couch in his PJs. He wakes up.

James takes his weekly pill container and tries to take his
WEDNESDAY pill. However, the Wednesday slot is empty! The
entire container is empty.

James reaches for his pill bottle in its designated spot. *

DING DONG!! James turns towards the door, accidentally *
knocking his pill bottle off the table. *

INT. JAMES’ LIVING ROOM - LATER (MORNING) *

In front of the mirror, James is fully dressed. He reaches

for his tie, puts it on, and checks it out. *

INT. JAMES’ FRONT DOOR - MID-DAY *

Mid-day light floods the apartment as James steps out the

door. *
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INT. JAMES’ FRONT DOOR - EVENING *

James reenters the apartment. Evening light greets him again *

as he locks the door. He picks up his audio recorder and
accidentally hits the play. *

JAMES
(over recording) *
Emily swung by this morning to *
uh... she needed something. *

James quizzically glances at the recorder. *

INT. JAMES’ LIVING ROOM - LATER (EVENING) *

James approaches his window and finds his camera missing from *
it’s spot. He looks around but can’t find it. *

James takes his video camera off the table and returns to the *
window. *

James watches the flowers bloom fully through the view *

finder. *

He then spots Emily in the background exiting her apartment. *

He waves at her but notices something is off. Emily wears *
fancy clothes as she fumbles with her keys. Then, he sees it. *
Emily also has JAMES’ POLAROID. *

THURSDAY (SHIT GETS CRAZIER) *

INT. JAMES’ LIVING ROOM - DAY (MORNING) *

James jolts awake on the couch. He’s confused why he’s in PJs
instead of his dress clothes.

James finds his weekly pill container empty. His pill bottle
is also missing from its designated spot. On the table, he *
finds a VHS tape with “EMILY STOLEN?!” scrawled on it. *

INT. JAMES’ APARTMENT - LATER (MID-DAY) *

On the phone, James paces nervously. Mid-day light fills the

room. Finally, Emily answers.

JAMES
Hi, Emily. I was just wondering—
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EMILY (O.C.)
STOP HARASSING ME! THE WEDDING’S *
ALMOST OVER! SO, I’LL BE THERE *
TONIGHT TO SORT IT OUT! *

Emily hangs up. James stands there dumbfounded.

JAMES
Am I missing something? I need to
set up a camera.

INT. JAMES’ LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

James suddenly finds himself back on the couch in his PJs,

disturbed by it and why he’s holding the remote.

James turns on the TV. The screen flickers with VHS

surveillance footage. It shows video from the view point of *
the camera lens. *

SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE:

JAMES’ LIVING ROOM - DAY (MORNING) *

Emily fumbles with the video camera. *

EMILY *
Cool it still works, but I don’t *
need to take 24 pictures a second. *

Emily sets the video camera down on the table. James walks in *
frame, wearing his PJs. He presents his polaroid camera for *
Emily to admire.

JAMES
I have this other camera, but it’s *
not for sale. This camera means a *
lot to me. It holds moments I wish *
to remember. *

Emily eagerly grabs the polaroid. *

EMILY
It’s perfect. Please! I need this *
to pay rent! The landlord will not *
give me more time. *

James looks puzzled.

JAMES
I don’t know, Emily. *
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EMILY *
I know that you need to give it to *
me. Please. *

END SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE

James quickly turns off the TV in a panic.

He frantically searches the table, but the camera isn’t there *

anymore. He finds it in the window sill. He grabs the camera *
and smashes it to the ground.

A loud KNOCK at the door freezes him.

JAMES’ FRONT DOOR

James cautiously answers the front door. It’s Emily, who’s

very agitated. She throws James’ Polaroid at him. *

EMILY
(angrily)
Here! Take your damn camera and *
stop calling me!

James grabs the camera, gripping it tightly: his eyes wild. *

JAMES
I knew you took it! You probably *
took my pills too! You steal your *
other camera too?! *

EMILY
I broke my camera. That’s why I *
borrowed yours. I didn’t steal *
anything. *

JAMES *
Then, explain this! *

Emily follows James into the apartment. *

JAMES' LIVING ROOM *

With Emily in front of the TV, James hits play on the remote. *
Emily looks at the TV to find VHS footage of her fumbling *
with her keys and leaving her apartment. *

Emily’s eyes widened, panicking. James fumbles with the *

remote. *
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JAMES *
(grumbles) *
Dangnabit, technology. *

EMILY
You’ve been taking video taping me *
this me this whole time?! *

JAMES
Yes, and I will go to the police if *
you don’t fess up!

EMILY
(furious)
I should be the one reporting you!
Give me that footage! *

Emily hurries to the VCR and ejects the tape. She turns to *
run out, but James blocks her path. They fight over the VHS *
tape. Emily smashes the VHS tape into James. THUNK! James *
lies on the couch dead.

Emily stands frozen, the broken tape slipping from her hands. *
She waits for him to get up, but the corpse doesn’t move.

She takes a step closer, her hand trembling as she reaches

out to touch him. She pulls back at the last moment.

Her breath catches as her gaze flicks around the room. Her
anger ebbs, replaced by a creeping sense of dread.

EMILY (CONT’D)
(quiet, trembling)
No... no, I didn’t mean to...

Her words die in her throat as her eyes fall on something

under the couch: the missing bottle of pills.

FADE OUT.