SCENE 48: THE BLEED

EXT. SKY – CONTINUOUS

Pale. Almost white.

Birds glide across the frame — calm.

Then suddenly — they scatter.

The image flickers.

Grain thickens.

Light dulls.

Like a memory trying to survive.

MATCH CUT TO:

EXT. FOGGY FIELD – GRAINY, FRACTURED

A violet scarf — floating downward.

Weightless.

Suspended in air.

SFX: The distant sound of galloping hooves — echoing, otherworldly.

Zoom out.

An empty field.

Thick fog crawling across the grass.

SMASH CUT TO:

BLACK HORSE – HOOVES IN SLOW MOTION

Charging through violet flowers.

Each stomp shatters petals like glass — not bloom.

Every impact echoes — once now, once after.

SMASH CUT TO – FLASH FRAGMENTS:

– A white rose, forgotten in a black void. Its petals darkening.

– A daisy laid across official paperwork. A slow stain creeps from its center, tearing the petals from within.

A red stamp slams down over the bloom — we can’t see the full word, only:

    MOV

– MACRO: A lily flower.

Two petals fall.

The rest tremble.

Their edges twitch — like film melting in the projector.

INT. BEDROOM – NIGHT

WILLIAM jolts awake.

Breath caught.

Sweat beads at his brow.

LILY sleeps beside him — peaceful.

He clutches his chest.

Then lies back down.

Facing away.

Silence.

CUT TO BLACK.

SEQUENCE: CROSSROADS

INT. MUSIC STUDIO – DAY

Ambient music plays low from the speakers.

WILLIAM sits at the mixing desk, headphones around his neck—half-in the mix, focused.

The door swings open.

THOMAS steps in—script in hand—a quiet grin on his face.

THOMAS
(smiling)
Got something for you.

He tosses the script onto the table.

William turns, curious, wiping his hands on his jeans.

WILLIAM
(raising an eyebrow)
What’s this?

THOMAS
(smiling)
Got something for you.
(beat)
A new script just landed.
I’m producing it and I want you in,
end to end.

William blinks—caught off guard.

Picks up the script.

Reads the title—simple, powerful.

WILLIAM
(half-laughs, stunned)
Holy sh—

He flips through the first few pages—absorbing it.

Excitement flickering in his chest.

THOMAS
It’s real, Will.
(beat)
Full soundtrack.
Full creative freedom.
You and me—
building it from the ground up.

William’s smile lingers—then falters.

The weight settles in.

THOMAS
(gently)
But you’d have to come to L.A.
(beat)
Start next month.
Full-time.

A beat.

William freezes.

Smile fading.

Breath catching.

He swallows hard—throat tight.

Looks away—out the window—anywhere but Thomas.

THOMAS
(soft)
It’s what you’re ready for.

William presses his thumb against the script—grounding.

Clouded eyes. A storm behind them.

WILLIAM
(voice low, cracking a little)
That’s... big.

THOMAS
(quiet)
I know.

Silence.

William closes the script softly.

Leans back in his chair.

Breath shallow.

Eyes toward the ceiling.

WILLIAM
(barely audible)
I need to talk to her first.

Thomas nods. Steady.

THOMAS
Of course.
(beat)
But Will—
(softer)
This isn’t just a job.
(beat)
It’s your life catching up to you.

William looks down at the cover.

Runs his hand over it.

A breath. A shift.

He stands.

Script in hand.

Pulls on his jacket.

Hesitates.

WILLIAM
(soft)
I’ll call you.

Thomas just smiles.

William slips out. Gone.

INT. KITCHEN – EVENING

LILY stirs a pot.

The door opens.

WILLIAM enters, tension coiled in his shoulders.

LILY
(calling out, soft)
Heyyy. Dinner’s almost ready.

William drops his keys.

Forces a smile.

Walks in slow.

LILY
(turning, watching him)
How was today?

WILLIAM
(too casual)
Good.
(beat)
Just... a lot.

She sets the spoon down.

Watches him.

LILY
(gentle)
Want to help with the plates?

He nods.

Moves toward the cabinet — slow, distracted.

INT. DINING ROOM – EVENING

Plates clink.

WILLIAM barely eats.

Silence settles in — heavy.

LILY
(quietly)
You’ve barely said a word since you walked in.

No response.

He just pushes food around on his plate.

LILY
(soft)
Will...

He looks up. The weight in his eyes — hard to hide.

LILY
(gently, more direct now)
Talk to me.

WILLIAM
(strained)
I just...
(beat)
I just need a minute, okay?

He tries to sound calm, but it’s fraying.

He starts to rise from the table.

LILY
(quiet, not accusing — just scared)
Is it about us?

He stops. Just for a second.

WILLIAM
(low)
No.
(beat — but his voice is too tight, too careful)
It’s not that.

He pushes from the table and walks out — not in anger, just overwhelmed.

LILY stays seated. Jazz hums softly in the background.

Her hand rests on the empty chair beside her.

Still warm. Still reaching.

EXT. HUDSON RIVER WALKWAY – EARLY MORNING

WILLIAM walks alone. Coat collar turned up. Hands in pockets.

He stops.

Looks over the water.

CLOSE-UP: HIS HAND

Reaches into his coat.

Touches something inside. Stays there.

Breath clouds the air.

He looks up.

WIDE SHOT

Tiny against the expanse.

He closes his eyes.

INT. KITCHEN – DAY

LILY enters with a grocery bag.

Sets it down.

Presses play on the answering machine.

THOMAS (V.O.)
(cheerful)
Hey man! Everything’s locked in.
You’re moving to L.A.
Pack your bags—don’t blow this.

She freezes.

Fingers still inside the bag — holding an orange.

She lets it go. A soft thud.

CLOSE-UP – HER FACE

Blink.

Jaw tightens.

Eyes fixed on the machine — but not really seeing it.

WIDE SHOT – THE ROOM

Stillness. Groceries untouched.

Something just shifted.

INT. LIVING ROOM – EVENING

Door creaks. WILLIAM steps in.

LILY
When were you going to tell me?

He stops.

She’s seated on the couch.

WILLIAM
How... how did you find out?

LILY
The voicemail.

He exhales.

Closes his eyes.

Nods.

WILLIAM
It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

LILY
Of course.
(beat)
And yet I’m still the last to know.
(beat)
That’s what hurts the most.

WILLIAM
I was going to tell you. I just—
(beat)
It’s my dream, Lil. But so are you.
(voice cracking)
I didn’t know how to ask you.
(beat)
I was scared you’d say no.

LILY
(soft)
I would never say no.

Silence.

LILY
What we have...
I would never make you choose.
(beat)
But you should have talked to me.

WILLIAM
(barely)
I’m sorry.

He takes a slow step forward.

Hesitates.

Looks her in the eyes.

WILLIAM
(softer)
Come with me.

A long beat.

Lily doesn’t move — not yet.

Her eyes shimmer, searching his.

She takes a breath.

One foot shifts forward.

Then another.

She walks to him — slow, unsure at first. But steady.

Now they’re face to face. Inches apart.

The air thick between them.

WILLIAM
Please.

Another beat.

She closes the space between them fully.

Her forehead rests gently against his.

LILY
(softly)
But no more hiding.

He nods. Breath caught in his chest.

WILLIAM
(quiet, certain)
No more hiding.

LILY
(whispers)
Okay.

He wraps his arms around her — relief, regret, love — all in one breath.

She exhales against him, melting into the moment.

The silence between them now feels like peace.

He kisses her forehead.

She closes her eyes.

EXT. HUDSON RIVER – MAGIC HOUR

They sit at the edge.

City lights shimmering.

They watch the horizon in silence.

Close. Steady.

SFX: Gentle waves.

[published 4/7/2025]
>>signal sent