The Councilblock Flats Is As Grey As They Are Boring

ILLUSION

By

STEFAN ADAMSSON

Sept

2011

FADE IN:

EXT. COUNCIL BLOCK FLATS - DAY

The councilblock flats are grey and depressing. The camera sweeps over the block and slowly zooming in on a window on the third floor. Behind the window stands a man, looking out at the surroundings.

CUT TO:

INT. SAM’S FLAT - DAY

When we’re inside the flat we can see who it is. It’s SAM. Sam is a weird man in his late twenties. It’s something strange and spooky about him. People who’d see him on the street would think twice before they spoke to him. He’s wearing jeans and t-shirt. He’s not ugly, he’s not handsome. He just is. In his right hand he’s holding a half full bottle of red wine, which he takes small sips out of while he’s staring out the window. He takes a sip and sighs.

Sam turns around and reveals the rest of the flat. A couple of book cases, a sofa, a lamp, a TV-set, a dining table with matching chairs. On the wall are a couple of paintings from unknown painters. By the dining table sits CLAIRE, Sam’s girlfriend. She’s a couple of years younger than Sam. She has an innocent appearance. She’s knitting by the table and doesn’t take any notice of Sam that watches her.Sam walks up to Claire, takes a sip out of the bottle. Then he smashes the bottle on Claire’s head. Claire collapses, drops her knitting and sinks down on the table. Blood is pouring from her head. She’s not dead, but not far from it. She moans. Sam looks at her, and then he walks in to the kitchen and grabs a cooking knife from the sink, takes a good look at it and walks back to Claire. He grabs her hair and pulls the head up, and then he cuts her throat. Sam smiles. He leaves his dead girlfriend by the table and with the bloody knife still in his hands, he picks up the phone from the table next to the sofa. He dials a number and waits till the other end picks up the call.

SAM:

Mom, dinner at my place at seven.

He hangs up the phone and walks back to the dead Claire by the table. He grabs her head again and then he carves her head off. He walks into the kitchen and with his back to us he drops the head in the waste bin. He walks back and carves off Claire’s arms and brings them into the kitchen.

INT. SAM’S KITCHEN – DAY

Sam puts the armson the cutting board and starts to chop them up. He puts the meat in a bowl together with olive oil, chopped carrots, onions, pepper and chives.

He frequently sniffs at the stew, while he stirs in it. He leaves the stew on the stove and walks back to the living room where he takes the bloody table cloth of the table, wraps it up and walks back to the kitchen where he dumps it in the waste bin with Claire’s head. Then he grabs a bottled beer from the fridge, opens it and takes a sip.He looks at the clock on the wall, it shows 6.30 P.M. He takes the dead body and drags it in to the bedroom and closes the door when he walks back.

He walks in to the bathroom.

INT. SAM’S BATHROOM - NIGHT

Sam undresses and leaves the clothes on the floor, he steps into the shower cabin, and he takes a quick shower, comes out and dries himself. He puts on a clean t-shirt and jeans and walks back to the living room.

INT. SAM’S LIVINGROOM - NIGHT

He sets the table with the finest dining silver they have. He puts the bowl with stew in the middle of the table. When the table is set he sits down by the end and waits for his mother to show up. He sips on his beer.

The clock shows 19.05, the buzzer rings, Sam rises and walks to the door and opens it. In front of him stands his MOTHER. Sam’s mother is a lady in her fifties, dressed in a classy coat and a hat with fruit ornaments on it. Sam takes her coat and hangs it up and shows her in to the dining room where everything is setup.

SAM:

Have a seat.

SAMS MOTHER:

Oh, thank you son.

Sam’s mother sits down and look impressed at the nicely set table with the big bowl with stew in the middle.

Sam pours his mother a big portion of the stew and then he serves himself.

SAM:

You will love this.

Sam opens another beer and gives his mother the bottle, and then he sits down at the other end of the table.

SAM’S MOTHER:

Cheers son. I’m so proud of you.

Sam’s mother takes a bite of the stew. Sam observes her reaction with a hidden smile.

SAM’S MOTHER: (cont’d)

Mm, good. What is it?

SAM:

(with a smile)

I call it Claire stew.

He takes another sip from his beer. They both eat in silence. Sam’s mother finishes her plate and wipes her mouth with a cloth.

SAM’S MOTHER:

Your father died last night. He hung himself in the cellar. I didn’t cry, I didn’t do anything, just went to the bingo as usual. I’m so proud of you, what a lovely dinner. Where’s Claire tonight.

SAM:

She’s at a dinner party.

Sam leaves the table.

SAM: (cont’d)

Excuse me a moment.

Sam walks out to the kitchen where he grabs the same knife he killed Claire with. With the knife behind his back he walks back to his mother. He looks at his mother. She looks at him.

SAM: (cont’d)

I love you, mum.

SAM’S MOTHER:

I love you to.

Sam swings the knife and slits his mother’s throat. The next second he hears the front door opens.

WOMENS VOICE: (O.S.)

What are you doing?

Sam turns around and sees Claire in the doorway. He turns back to his mother but his mother is gone. No one sits in the chair. All the plates and the bowl with stew are gone from the table. He looks at the knife. It’s clean. The blood is gone.

SAM:

Oh, hi Claire. Nothing, sweetheart.

Just practising some moves.

CLAIRE:

You know what babe?

SAM:

What?

CLAIRE:

You’re crazy.

Claire walks past Sam towards the bedroom and before she enters she waves at Sam to follow her. Sam looks confused around him and then he puts the knife on the table and follows her. They close the door behind them.

THE END

FADE OUT.

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