The reflection

Film opens with a blank screen.

SOUND: Low humming in a woman’s voice interspersed with gentle laughter

INTERIOR – STUDIO APARTMENT

It is late at night. A middle-aged woman is walking around in her small, neatly furnished living room. Dressed casually in shorts and a T-shirt she’s talking to someone on the phone. One moment she’s smiling and the next moment it looks like she is arguing with the person at the other end

WOMAN

I told you that’s how it’s going to sound…and now… look

The voice at the other end doesn’t seem to be giving in at all

WOMAN

No…just listen to me….your way of….no hear me out!

She’s pacing and moving her hands excitedly. She stops by the window. The light is shining on her. She looks out of the window casually and her expression freezes.

SOUND: The humming sound comes on again in the background.

INTERIOR – LIVING ROOM OF STUDIO APARTMENT

Reflected on the glass window is a young woman. She is wearing a dress, casual sandals and walking forward with slow, deliberate steps.

WOMAN, staring at the reflection in the glass window face white with fear turns around slowly to look over her shoulder.

INTERIOR – LIVING ROOM

The room is empty. A few floor cushions are scattered around. In the corner is an old fashioned turn-table. A few books in a shelf and a vase with a few wilting flowers in it. In the corner is a rocking chair. Everything looks the same. And then she notices that the rocking chair is moving slowly. Almost indiscernibly.

She picks up the phone –

WOMAN (hoarsely)

I’ll call you back later.

SOUND: This time, there’s gentle laughter with the humming sound gradually.

INTERIOR – FAR CORNER OF THE LIVING ROOM

The woman in shorts and T-shirt has a hunted look on her face. Clearly she’s scared and with jerky movements she’s turning over cushions and looking under the furniture.

She is muttering under her breath – Don’t be silly. Get a grip. Just your imagination…..

SOUND: The humming sound follows her around as if it is leading the search, and then suddenly it rises to a crescendo.

INTERIOR OF LIVING ROOM

The woman is standing in the middle of the room. Her cell phone is ringing with a loud jangly sound which converges with the humming sound. She is staring at it. Terrified.

She picks up the phone with a quick, jerky movement.

WOMAN: Hello?

Her body relaxes slightly. It is obvious that the voice at the other end is a known one.

WOMAN: Oh really? No, I didn’t see a missed call from you. At 5? Oh, I must’ve been driving…you know stuck in traffic…

She laughs nervously.

She continues talking on the phone. Pacing the floor. You can tell that she’s avoiding going up to the window.

SOUND: Gentle, soothing piano music in the background.

She turns around while speaking to glance at the rocking chair in the corner. It’s still. A look of relief crosses her face. Her smile becomes wider. She laughs aloud a couple of times.

WOMAN: Sure, let’s do that. Next Saturday? That works. 7 in the evening? At the corner of 10^th and Main? Alright….I’ll be there.

SOUND: The humming sound is back. It leads the viewer’s attention as it goes up a few octaves and then down again.

The woman’s back is to the camera. She’s looking for something. She finds it. It’s the TV remote.

SOUND: The humming is definitely stronger. There is an edge to it. As if it is trying to tell the viewer that something’s up.

The woman settles down on the couch, remote in hand. She’s flipping channels. The camera takes a leisurely look around the living room. The rocking chair is quiet. So is the turn-table. The camera lingers on the book-shelf. One of the books quietly falls over. Silently.

BACKGROUND: TV news sounds.

The audience is taking in the details of the apartment as the camera moves along.

SOUND: The humming sound is following the camera movement along with the audience.

The woman is laughing now. There’s a sitcom going on.

SOUND: Suddenly in the midst of it the humming stops. Canned laughter from the sitcom plays in the background.

WOMAN: Chuckling…

Her cell phone rings. Glancing away from the TV she casually picks it up and looks at the screen to see who is calling. On the screen is a picture of the same woman whose reflection she had seen on the glass pane of the window.

THE END