"The Console": A screenplay short by Kevin C. Davison

ENG-323-X3404 Intro Screenwriting Workshop 15EW3

CUT TO:

INT. MASTER BEDROOM -DAY

A second console resides within the master bedroom. It sits on a shelf collecting dust and appearing completely harmless.

CUT TO:

INT. CHILD’S BEDROOM - DAY

A third, identical gaming console sits on a shelf in a child’s bedroom. It has as similar demeanor to the console in the living room. It appears harmless in nature. The silence remains resilient.

FADE TO BLACK.

INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY

The silence vanishes as the front door opens and the family enters. Enter the mother, the father, and their son. Son runs to his bedroom. Mother stands by the door while everyone enters. Father enters carrying groceries. Mother closes door. Father takes groceries to kitchen and mother follows. The gaming console remains silent.

SON (V.O.)

I'm playing my game mom.

MOTHER (V.O.)

Okay, honey.

The father returns to the living room alone leaving the mother to put away the groceries and plops down on the couch. He picks up the TV remote and powers it on then looks at his gaming console.

CUT TO:

INT. CHILD’S BEDROOM - DAY

The son sits on his bed playing what appears to be a harmless video game. He seems happy, captivated by his entertainment choice. His mind is lost to reality while he is focussed only on the game.

CUT TO:

INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY

The father surfs the channels while his wife puts away the groceries. His wife can see the TV from where she stands.

MOTHER (V.O.)

What are you watching?

The father sighs in frustration as he fails to find anything interesting to him.

FATHER

I don’t know.

The father looks to the gaming console as if it may hold the key to his entertainment desires. He picks up the gaming console remote from the coffee table and powers it on. As the system powers up the father is uncertain still as to what he wants to do. He is not leaning towards playing a video game yet and selects the option of viewing movie Apps. He selects Netflix and begins checking for anything he may want to watch.

MOTHER (V.O.)

Let me know. I may want to watch it with you.

FATHER

Okay.

Father continues to search for something to watch.

CUT TO:

INT. CHILD’S BEDROOM - DAY

The child starts to get frustrated. He suddenly wants to play on the living room console rather than his own or watch someone else play a game on it. He pauses his game and leaves his room to see what his father and mother are doing.

CUT TO:

INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY

The son enters the living room to find his father with a gaming remote in his hands and his mother finishing up in the kitchen.

SON

What game are you playing?

FATHER

I’m looking for something to watch.

Mother enters the living room.

MOTHER

Are you done playing your game?

SON

No. I want to watch daddy play.

Father stops searching temporarily and turns his attention to his son.

FATHER

I’m not playing a game right now. I’m looking for something to watch.

SON

Can I play a game on your XBox?

Mother looks to the father and shakes her head.

FATHER

You have your own console to play on buddy. Mom and I want to watch TV.

SON

I want to play on dads console!

MOTHER

Go back to your room and play your game or I’m going to take your game away.

The son is suddenly overwhelmed with raw emotion. He begins to throw a fit and cry.

SON

No mom! Don’t take my game away!

Son runs back to his room screaming and whining over the outcome. Father and mother shake their heads in confusion. Mother sits down on the couch across from her husband. The husband starts looking for something to watch again.

The console is calling to him but he cannot quite hear it’s cries. With the influence of the son failing, the console reaches out to other thralls connected by networks to the family.

The mother receives a text on her phone. She picks up her phone and reads the message.

MOTHER

It’s Sample, Gummy, and Cost. They want to play some Ghost.

The husband looks to his wife.

FATHER

Hell yes! Do you want to play?

Mother thinks about it with uncertainty.

MOTHER

Maybe.

FATHER

We haven’t played in forever!

MOTHER

I think the guys miss us too.

FATHER

Well, I’m down!

MOTHER

Okay... I’ll play for a bit.

Mother gets up and heads to her room where her XBox awaits.

The father backs out of the movie apps and goes into his games, looking for Ghost Recon. The console puts off a feeling of euphoria throughout the home as it feels dominant over the entire family.

CUT TO:

INT. CHILD’S BEDROOM - DAY

The son is standing in his room confused and disoriented. He can’t remember what exactly just happened. He eventually shrugs off the confusion and returns to sitting on his bed and playing his game.

INT. MASTER BEDROOM - DAY

The mother is playing a video game with her husband and friends. She wears a head set that plugs into her controller so she can communicate with everyone during game play.

MOTHER

What’s up guys?

SAMPLE (V.O.)

Hey there Wen... Hey Fruits...

MOTHER

Hi Sample.

FATHER

Hey Sample.

COST

What’s everyone been up to?

GUMMY

My lady and I had a baby.

MOTHER

Congrats!

FATHER

Congrats bro!

COST

Congratulations man!

SAMPLE

Before you go congratulating him, he forgot to mention that I had to participate in the conception. Without my presence, Gummy wouldn’t have been able to conceive a child. His woman was just the vessel, but I was the entity Gummy wanted to impregnate so by definition Gummy’s woman is just a surrogate carrier for mine and Gummy’s baby.

Laughter sounds over the network.

GUMMY

Whatever you want to tell yourself Sample!

Game play continues during conversation.

CUT TO:

INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY

The husband is chuckling over the banter he hears.

The game play continues until someone is booted from the network and causes the game to search for a new host.

SAMPLE (V.O.)

I bet it was that IDidYoMama101 guy! He was a bit laggy.

Laughter.

Host is refreshed and game play continues.

Game ends and points are displayed for teams.

COST (V.O.)

Wow Wen! Top of your game today.

FATHER

Yeah she is!

SAMPLE (V.O.)

She only got one more kill than me... But good job Wen.

Husband smiles at the ego of Sample.

Enter the son.

SON

I’m hungry.

Father looks at clock. Clock shows 6:00 PM.

FATHER

Alright buddy. Just a moment well get dinner going.

CUT TO:

INT. MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT

Mother hears over the network and also checks the time.

MOTHER

Hey guys, I have to make dinner for my son. I’ll talk to you all later.

SAMPLE

By Wen.

GUMMY

Later.

COST

Are you getting back on later?

MOTHER

Maybe after I get my son to bed.

Mother shuts down her XBox and leaves her room for the kitchen.

CUT TO:

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Father looks as his wife walks by him and into the kitchen.

FATHER

Hey guys, I’m going to hop off too. I’ll catch you all later.

Father waits for responses to make sure he was heard.

SAMPLE

Later Fruits.

GUMMY

Bye.

COST

Text me if you get on later.

FATHER

I will.

Father backs out of the game and shuts down his XBox. The influence of the XBox entity cries out to a point that it can almost be heard and felt by everyone in the home.

MOTHER (V.O.)

You could have played still.

Father stands up and goes over to start playing with his son. He looks to his wife as he plays.

FATHER

This is funner.

He picks up his son and spins him. Son squeals with glea.

The influence of the XBox failed for the moment.

CLOSE-UP OF XBOX IN LIVING ROOM.

FADE TO BLACK.