Could-have-been
INT. ANNA'S ROOM - DAY
The bedroom is dim from the curtain that only shows the slightest sunlight from the window, she likes it that way, not too light. But not entirely dark.
Anna is lying down in her bed, staring at the ceiling, expressionless.
Then her phone beeps as it shows there is a notification from her soon-to-be significant other. She grabs the phone and reads the message from him.
Can we talk? I'll be there in 15 minutes.
Anna doesn't even flinch from her position except for the hand which moves to grab the phone. She makes such an expression that she is uncomfortable and completely not at ease. Knowing that even when she said no, Leo would still come over.
Leaving her bedroom, Anna goes to the bathroom and washes her face.
Looking at the mirror, she is trying so hard not to make any kind of unpleasant expression that makes her seem unhappy.
She smiles even though her entire muscles that want her to smile refuse to do so— yet she smiles anyway.
Going to her room again, such a warm and familiar atmosphere makes her close her eyes to feel this temporary fuzziness.
Then, the telephone rings. She opens her eyes and picks up the telephone.
ANNA
(talking on the phone)
"Hello.."
Anna wakes up from her position, looking at the window; her expression changes.
THE MAN
"Hey, why is Dead Poet Society such
a masterpiece of a movie?"
Anna gets up to see the man who stands up in front of her bedroom window.
ANNA
"Well, it depends on what idea you have in your mind for that movie. I guess just as you said why is it a masterpiece, one might say, it is one of those really bad movies that explicitly romanticise suicide. But then, one also could say that it is such a life-changing movie."
THE MAN
"Huh... What are you doing now?"
ANNA
"Writing a love letter."
THE MAN
"Oh yeah? To whom?"
ANNA
(Assertive)
"To myself"
THE MAN
(Scanning Anna intensely)
“You’re lying, aren’t you? Your eyes now
do not look like someone who’s
writing a love letter to yourself.”
Anna stares at him through the window silently while still holding her phone.
THE MAN
"Forget what I said. That's a good idea.
More people should write love letters
to themselves."
ANNA
"Hmm, what are you up to?"
THE MAN
"Jogging. Do you think we could uh.. ever
run away from where we come from?"
ANNA
"No, I don't think you can, fully.
(hesitates) I have to take you to this place."
THE MAN
"Oh yeah, why is that? Where?"
ANNA
"It's a place of could-have-been. You come here and have dreams about what could have been."
THE MAN
"And where exactly is that?"
ANNA
"My head."
THE MAN
"You know I think of you that way too.
You're my could-have-been."
ANNA
"We're lucky to have each other, aren't we? I mean considering most people's could-have-been had no idea they were could-have-been. It's nice that we're each other's could-have-beens. In that way, we end up together in the same dream."
The man smiles softly as he listens to Anna's voice on the phone while looking at her through the window.
THE MAN
"It's good to see you, Anna."
ANNA
"It's good to see you too, Mark."
MARK
"What do we do now?"
ANNA
"We wake up."
Eventually, Mark completely vanished from her sight.
LEO
"Anna, wake up."
ANNA
"Ah, you came already, I'm sorry
I just... I fell asleep."
LEO
"I don't think we can continue this anymore."
ANNA
(Flat and expressionless)
"Okay."
LEO
"You don’t even ask me why? Do you even
like me in the first place?"
ANNA
"Do you mind if take you to this place?"
LEO
"Don’t be silly! Stay on the topic we’re on!"
She tilts her head and then smiles.
(Showing the sequence of scenes when they were happy hanging out and spending time together)
(Anna voice-over)
You know what? It seems that we solely remain as could-have-been, Neither of us knew, not a clue, that's the thing with these big life events. You can never really pin down what it was all about. I mean I guess that's the same with everything.
You get to the end and you're left with these little 8 mm memories you've got to piece together and call your life. I think what happens with us is what always happens. Two people meet, stick around for each other for a bit and then their ego gets in the way. The big surprise ending. But usual, expectable.
We love ourselves more than we can love others. Way to go, humanity. God would be proud. Anyway, the point of these love stories and could-have-been stories, all the same, is that we get in the way of our own happiness. There, I said it. Now, where is my Nobel prize?
Over time we meet other people, forget each other and then remember each other all over again, and probably the man who will visit the dream of my could-have-been series is Leo. It's a whole cycle. And you know that's how it goes, I guess. And even now he has officially become one of those my could-have-beens.
FADE OUT.
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