Paper Cranes on Different Planes

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INT. MANSION - EARLY EVENING

The front door flings open. AMELIA, 24, stands there

panting. Her eyes stare off into the distance, blank. She

begins to wander around the large space, exploring the rooms

and looking for answers. We notice that her hand is wrapped

in a bandage.

She wanders for several minutes, when she is surprised by a

TELEPHONE RINGING. She turns around and sees an old landline

phone sitting on the table. This confuses her and then it

stops ringing. She shrugs it off and carries onto the next

room.

In the next room, she discovers an old piano. She tinkers

around on it, showing her expertise.

The PHONE RINGS again, but this time is sounds closer. She

looks up and the phone is sitting on the piano. She answers

it. amelia

Hello?

There is static at first, but then an AUTOMATED OPERATOR is

heard clearly.

OPERATOR

Hello! Please confirm your name. Is

this Amelia Anderson of 5842 West

Harper Avenue Apartment #17?

AMELIA

Uh...?

OPERATOR

Sorry, I didn’t get that. Please

confirm your name. Is this Amelia

Anderson of 5842 West Harper Avenue

Apartment #17? Press 1 for yes.

Press 2 for no. Press 3 for

assistance.

AMELIA

Um, I don’t need a credit card.

OPERATOR

Sorry, I didn’t get--

She hangs up begins to walk away, but the phone appears in

front of her RINGING again. Frustrated, she answers.

OPERATOR

Hello! Please confirm your name. Is

this Amelia Anderson of 5842 West

Harper Avenue Apartment #17? Press

1 for yes. Press 2 for no. Press 3

for assistance.

Rolling her eyes, Amelia goes to hang up but--

OPERATOR

Do not hang up. This is an

important message from your life

provider. Please confirm your name.

Is this Amelia Anderson of 5842

West Harper Avenue Apartment #17?

Press 1 for yes. Press 2 for no.

Press 3 for assistance.

With an annoyed scoff, Amelia presses 3.

OPERATOR

You’ve selected "assistance".

Please state your question.

AMELIA

Yeah, hi, what the hell is this?

OPERATOR

This is an important message from

your life provider. Our team offers

our sincerest condolences for your

loss. In order to process your

transition with ease, please

confirm your name.

AMELIA

My loss? What loss?

OPERATOR

(cutting in over her) Is this

Amelia Anderson of 5842 West

Harper Avenue Apartment #17?

Press 1 for yes. Press 2 for

no. Press 3 for assistance.

Frustrated, she pushes 1

OPERATOR

Thank you, Amelia Anderson. Just a

moment while I look up your

account.

She opens her mouth to speak, but a few seconds of waiting

MUSIC plays. She begins to move to the next room, the phone

against her hear. Instead of finding herself in a new room

in the mansion, she’s been transported back home to her

apartment.

INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT

She looks around, startled by the new environment. What’s

even more unusual, is she sees herself doing dishes from the

other day. The Amelia from the past slices her hand on a

knife.

PAST AMELIA

Shit.

Past Amelia turns to go to the bathroom. We hear WATER

RUNNING. Amelia holds up her hand that has a bandage wrapped

around her palm. She unwraps the bandage to find her scar

slowly disappearing. She is stunned.

OPERATOR

Thank you for your patience. I have

your account information here. You

have twelve million, six-hundred

fourteen thousand, five-hundred

twenty two minutes to review. Press

1 to review now, press 2 to review

later.

AMELIA

Review what?

OPERATOR

You’ve selected "review now" is

that correct?

AMELIA

I didn’t push anything--

OPERATOR

Great! Press any number to begin.

Amelia slowly lowers the phone from her ear, looking at the

numbers with a wary eye. Haphazardly, she presses the number

2

INT. CHILDHOOD LIVING ROOM - DAY

Amelia opens her eyes. At first glance, nothing seems to

have changed. However, she notices she is now dressed in a

children’s outfit. She is sitting on the floor, several

squares of half-folded paper origami surrounding. She looks

down at the paper, confused at first, but the memory of the

paper cranes creeps in. She picks one up and admires it

before a gentle HUMMING catches her ear. She turns her head,

seeing her MOTHER sitting in her chair crocheting. She

admires her with a warm smile. Mother turns to look at

Amelia. She smiles.

Amelia continues to be amazed by the vision of her mother.

Her hand slowly reaches out to her, her fingers almost

touching her floral robe when...

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Amelia is back in her living room, her hand stretched out

towards nothing. The phone is pressed to her ear with her

other hand. She snaps back into the scene, stunned. She

pulls away the phone, re-pressing the same number several

times.

OPERATOR

I’m sorry--I’m sorry--I’m sorry,

the number you are trying to reach

has expired. Please select a new

number.

Amelia puts the phone to her ear, tears in her eyes.

AMELIA

What was that?

OPERATOR

This was your favoirte

childhood memory. Please

select a new number.

Amelia looks side to side, agast at the newfound power of

the call. She looks at each number, wondering where each

will lead. She puts the phone back up to her ear.

AMELIA

Can you tell me where each number

goes?

OPERATOR

Press 1 for your first memory.

Press 2 for your favorite memory.

Press 3 for your most recalled

memory. Press 4 for your best

accomplishment. Press 5 for your

biggest regret. Press 6 for your

worst memory. Press 7 for your last

memory. Press 8 to review The

After. Press 9 to end this call, a

non reversible action. Para

espanol, presione cero. For

assistance, press the pound key.

Amelia pulls the phone away from her ear, considering the

options. She pushes the pound key.

OPERATOR

You’ve selected "assistance".

Please state your question.

AMELIA

Yeah, can I go out of order?

OPERATOR

You may choose any number to begin.

AMELIA

(pressing 6)Might as well get

it over with.

She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes.

INT. HOSPITAL BEDROOM - DAY

Amelia opens her eyes, discovering her head laying down on a

blanket. Further inspection leads to her finding she is

laying on the chest of a breathing person. Slowly, she lifts

her head. Her mother lies there, half asleep, her breath

labored. She is dying. Amelia stares at her for a few

moments. Her hands lightly strokes her mothers hand. Mother

opens her eyes, giving a weak smile.

Amelia’s eyes fill with tears. She returns the weak smile.

She lays her head back down on mother’s chest and begins to

HUM the same tune heard earlier. The tune carries on like a

distant echo...

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Sitting on the floor, Amelia has the phone pressed to her

ear. She stares off and lets it drop to her shoulder. The

operator is heard quietly away from her ear.

OPERATOR

Still there? Press the pound key

for assistance.

Beat. Amelia picks up the phone again, looking at the

numbers. She selects 1.

INT. BABY ROOM - DAY

Amelia is dressed in baby pajamas. Her eyes stare up at

something on the ceiling. Her hand reaches up towards a

mobile made of paper cranes. Her fingers brush across one

gently. It reflects in her clear eyes. Her mother leans in

between her and the mobile.

MOTHER

Good morning, beautiful. I love

you.

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Amelia is still seated on the floor, the phone against her

ear. She comes back around, sniffing and wiping under her

eyes.

AMELIA

Uh, can you remind me what I have

left?

OPERATOR

Press 3 for your most recalled

memory. Press 4 for your best

accomplishment. Press 5 for your

biggest regret. Press 7 for your

last memory. Press 8 to review The

After.

AMELIA

Um...

She looks at the numbers and picks number 3.

INT. RECORD STORE - DAY

Amelia and NATE, 24, are looking through a box of records

together. He picks up a record to show her. They share a

laugh together. We see a sparking ring on her finger.

INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT

Amelia smiles at the fond memory. She carefully chooses her

next number. She pushes 4.

INT. STAGE - NIGHT

Amelia finishes playing a SONG on the piano. A small

audience claps. She takes a bow.

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Amelia pulls the phone away from her ear. She sighs and

presses 5.

INT. DINING ROOM/KITCHEN - DAY

Amelia stands just outside of the kitchen, a letter in hand.

Nathan is seen behind her in the kitchen, sirring a pot on

the stove. Seeing the address on th envelope. She gets

excited and tears it open, reading the letter.

INSERT LETTER:

Dear Miss Amelia Anderson, we are please to inform you of

your acceptance to Juliard for our piano studies program.

Congratulations, we look forward to seeing you this fall!

Juliard Admissions

BACK TO SCENE

She reads the letter with joy, but a sadness falls over her

face. She glances over her shoulder at Nate cooking. She

looks back at the letter. She also looks at the engagement

ring on her finger. With a sigh she tears the letter in

half.

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Amelia keep the phone pressed against her ear. She is quiet

for a moment.

AMELIA

I should’ve gone. That was really

stupid of me, hm?

She is met with silence.

OPERATOR

Sorry, I didn’t get that.

AMELIA

(wry laugh)Right, yeah, of

course you didn’t. You’re not

even a person. (beat) I’m not

sure if I’m really even a

person.

She looks down at the palm of her hand where the cut on her

hand used to be.

OPERATOR

Still there? Press the pound key

for assistance.

She continues to look at her hand.

OPERATOR

Your remaining options are Press 7

for your last memory. Press 8 to

review The After. Press 9 to end

this call, a non reversible action.

Or, press the pound key for

assistance.

She presses the pound key.

OPERATOR

You’ve selected "assistance".

Please state your question.

AMELIA

(beat)I’m not alive anymore,

am I?

OPERATOR

Amelia Anderson of 5842 West Harper

Avenue Apartment #17. Born January

4th 1952. Died March 7th 1976. Age

24.

Amelia doesn’t seem to be surprised much at all. The phone

drops away from her ear against her shoulder when she bows

her head. We hear the operator speaking away from her ear.

OPERATOR

Our team offers our sincerest

condolences for your loss.

She sniffs and wipes away her tears. She selects the number

7.

INT. RECORD STORE - EVENING

Earlier today, Amelia is in the same clothes she was wearing

when she came in the door. Amelia and Nate leaf through

records, the gap between them wide. They are obviously not

happy with eachother at this moment. Nate pulls out a record

and turns to Amelia, trying out a smile.

He forces a small laugh. Amelia glances up from her stack

for a brief moment, unamused. She turns to a new stack. Nate

sighs and returns to leafing though his stack. While leafing

through her stack, Amelia considers the ring on her finger.

Eventually, she removes it and turns to Nathan. She holds it

up to him and puts it in his hand. She looks confused and

opens his mouth to speak, but Amelia is already heading

towards the door.

EXT/INT. CAR - NIGHT

Amelia drives. The RAIN falls. Her WIPERS BEAT methodically.

There is a blinding light flash. With a gasp, she throws her

hands up to her face.

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

The sound of a CAR CRASHING is echos in the distance. Amelia

throws the phone down to shield her face. It takes a moment

for her to realize it isn’t happening anymore. Slowly, she

lowers her hand. A drop of blood oozes down the side of her

face. She notices it and touches it with a finger and holds

it to her eye. The operator speaks softly through the

reciever on the floor.

OPERATOR

You may press 8 to review The

After. Press 9 to end this call, a

non reversible action. Or, press

the pound key for assistance.

Amelia takes a deep breath and presses 8.

INT RECORD STORE - DAY

Nate goes through the records on his own, despondant. Amelia

stands nearby, watching with the phone still against her ear

and a drop of blood on her forehead. He reaches the misfit

record that’s been there forever. He takes it to the

register.

NATE

Just this, please.

INT. LIVING ROOM OF THE FUTURE - DAWN

Amelia has the phone against her ear, her face blank.

OPERATOR

Press 9 to end this call, a non

reversible action, or press the

pound key for assistance.

The sun starts to rise. We pull away from her, a modern

smart phone sitting on the table’s edge. It lights up and

starts to RING and VIBRATE. This startles her as she notices

this is not her home anymore. A YOUNG WOMAN dressed for 2018

enters and answers the phone.

YOUNG WOMAN

Hello? Sarah, hey, how you doing,

girl? Yeah, I was just working on

it...

Her voice drifts off as she walks into another room, the

CONVERSATION carrying on muffled. Amelia rises to a slow

stand, taking in the new environemt. Things have moved

around, more modern, colorful things in the place of her

things. Where her record player used to a be, a laptop with

spotify opened plays MUSIC. She leans into it with

curiosity. She taps a few keys and accidentally opens up a

youtube video of a President Trump dubstep remix. This

startles her and she shuts the laptop closed. She hits the

pound key on the phone.

OPERATOR

You’ve selected "assistance".

Please state your question.

AMELIA

Is this the future?

OPERATOR

This is the present. This telephone

line has been open for 42 years.

Your remaining options are stay on

the line for continued viewing,

press 9 to end this call, a non

reversible action, or press the

pound key for assistance.

Sinking to the floor in shock at the number of years, she

presses the pound key again.

OPERATOR

You’ve selected "assistance".

Please state your question.

AMELIA

What happens when I end the call?

OPERATOR

I’m sorry. I cannot answer that.

She lingers on the phone for what seems like forever, the

world going on around her as if she moves much slower than

it. Eventually, she lowers the phone and presses 9, lifting

it back to her ear.

OPERATOR

You’ve chosen to end this call. Is

this correct? This cannot be

reversed.

AMELIA

Yes.

INT. MANSION - EARLY EVENING

Amelia is transported back to the mansion, the phone against

her ear.

OPERATOR

Thank you for reviewing your twelve

million, six-hundred fourteen

thousand, five-hundred twenty two

minutes. Our team offers our

sincerest condolences for your

loss. We hope that this experience

has offered you the proper

assistance for an easy, hassle free

transition. At this time as a

courtsey to you, please choose a

memory you would like to revisit

once more.

Amelia lowers the phone again, considering each number. She

presses 2.

OPERATOR

You have selected to re-review your

best memory. Is that correct?

AMELIA

Yes.

She squinches her eyes shut.

INT. CHILDHOOD LIVING ROOM - DAY

Amelia opens her eyes, dressed as a young child. She looks

around, pleased to return. She looks down at the half-folded

paper origami squares. She chooses a fresh sheet and begins

to fold it, focusing methodically on each crease.

INTERCUT BETWEEN PAST AMELIA FOLIDNG PAPER AND PRESENT

AMELIA ON THE PHONE

Present Amelia’s lips lift into a nostalgic smile.

Past Amelia continues to fold.

Present Amelia rises to a stand, walking towards the window.

Past Amelia continues to fold.

Present Amelia contines walking to the window.

INT. CHILDHOOD KITCHEN - DAY

Past Amelia finishes, holding up her origami paper crane

creation. Her mother is heard HUMMING. She turns and spots

her at the stove. Amelia’s hand reaches out towards her

robe, grasping it. Mother turns to smile at Amelia. Amelia

reaches up and hands her the paper crane. Mother takes it

and smiles.

Past Amelia rises to a stand, and turns. When seh turns we

see there s a field of papercranes, she begins to walk

through them towards the window.

INTERCUT BETWEEN PAST AMELIA WALKING AND PRESENT AMELIA

WALKING

EXT/INT. CAR - NIGHT

Amelia is driving, a light flashes and she raises her arms

ot shield her face. CRASH, GLASS SHATTER sound

INT. MANSION - SUNSET

INTERCUT BETWEEN PAST AMELIA AND AMELIA ON THE PHONE

The GLASS SHATTER continues on into the scene as a distant

echo, sparkling bits of glass particles float between both

Amelia’s

Present Amelia reaches the window, finding a paper crane

sitting on the sill. She picks it up and looks at it with a

smie.

OPERATOR

Thank you for your participation in

this end of life transition, Amelia

Anderson. To stay on the line and

start over, press 1. To continue to

the end, press 2.

She lowers the phone, looking between the numbers and the

paper crane. She makes her choice, unseen to the audience.

She puts the phone back to her ear, listening. She looks out

the window. We move outside, continuing to zoom out until...

FADE TO:

EXT. SPACE

A field of stars and planets float by.

OPERATOR

Thank you.

END.