ACT ONE A TITLE CARD READS: "THE PROBLEM" INT. EDY'S HOME. Edy's home is dark. The walls and floor and furniture are dark colored but not intentionally somber. Someone happy once lived here, a while ago. Now, it is cluttered with papers and stacks of debris. A large travel poster to Hawaii has been taped to the wall. Furniture has been covered with dark throws. The curtains are drawn tight, not letting in the dusk. Edy sits in a chair. Uncomfortably sits in a rather plain not terribly comfortable chair. Edy is an older woman but not old. She is attractive and looks like she was at one time very pretty, probably not sexy, definately cute. She wears stretch denim pants and sneakers. Her unfashionable shirt is covered by a un-matching sweater maybe taupe. In the cuff of this sweater is a kleenex. Edy look stunned and puffy, as though she has cried for days and is waiting for her body to yield more tears so she can cry again. Or perhaps, she is done crying and wonders if she ever will again. The camera sits on her sitting in a wide shot for an awkward length of time. We watch. Long pause. Edy stands up abruptly. Paces for a second or two then sits back down. We watch. She sways back and forth and slowly stands. She sits. This is really uncomfortable for us. Edy starts to cry again. Her hands try to push the tear back into her eyes but down they stream. She stands and runs to the door. Throws herself back to her chair. She stands again. The phone RINGS. Edy jumps. Stares at the phone. She bursts out crying and runs out the door. EXT. EDY'S HOME. It is sunset. The world is orange. Edy runs down the street. She runs as fast as she can. From something or towards something. Both. So fast, she cannot breathe. She stumbles and falls. A man in all white is watching. He is cute with longish blonde hair. Sort of has a hippie feel, kind face, soft voice. He watches her and puts his hand to his mouth as if to stop a gasp. On all fours she gasps like a sick cat. She looks up the hill and before her is a staircase. It is one of the many staircases that proliferate Silver Lake and Echo Park California. She breathes and stares. This man, PETER, looks over his shoulder to make sure no one is watching and quickly walks over to the fallen woman. He offers his hand. Edy smiles awkwardly and takes his help up. They nod at each other. Edy looks up the stairs as though they will offer her something... EDY tomorrow... She looks back at Peter. EDY (continuing) Thanks. Thank you. She slowly walks back home. Peter seems upset. He looks up at the stairs, back at Edy and gets an idea. TITLE CARS READS: "A THEORY CAN NOT BE PROVED ONLY DISPROVED EXT. STAIRS - MORNING Note: most of the action happens ext stairs. I will refrain from saying the actual address of a staircase (ie: Baxter Stairs) but simply state ext of a specific person's house. In this case, it is the staircase Edy stumbled upon in the previous scene. Edy looks up at the imposing staircase. She reaches down and ties her shoe. She is not dressed for exercise. She takes a deep breathe and starts to climb. At first she is energetic. She slows down. She looks around her. No one. She climbs again. Slowly deliberately. She quickly gets exhausted. She huffs. EDY Oh my lord...I should have picked a smaller staircase. She sits on the steps about 3/4 to the top. She looks down the stairs and sees her water bottle on the ground where she left it. She rolls her eyes. EDY (continuing) Great idea Edy. Oh my... She tries to catch her breathe. A woman thin and pretty maybe 30's, early 40's, in a runner's outfit, knees kicking high, comes up the stairs. She smiles wide and is really nice. We will call her Runner Barry. Note: Almost everyone's name is Barry. If I call them all Barry you will be very confused as to who is actually speaking. Thus, I have named each of them by age or action to make this easier to read. Edy is dripping with sweat as Runner Barry slows down. RUNNER BARI Are you alright? EDY Great! RUNNER BARI Sure? EDY Yes I'm great. RUNNER BARI You don't need a hand.. EDY No. Heavens just enjoying the view. RUNNER BARI Silver Lake is beautiful isn't it? EDY Yeah as long as you don't look towards the ugly part of Los Angeles.. They laugh. Edy coughs. RUNNER BARI These stairs are hard.. EDY You're telling me. How many are there. RUNNER BARI Oh I don't know? Dozens? All of Silver Lake and Echo Park are covered in them up and down the hills, like the stitch in quilting.... EDY Dozens? Well, I'll just take one at a time. Thanks. RUNNER BARI Have a great day and view. Well the nice part. Runner Barry continues quickly up the stairs. EDY Bitch. INT. EDY'S HOME. Edy is on the phone. EDY Hi. Hello did it beep? Nancy it's your Mother. I'm fine, everything's fine. I was wondering if you were still coming out next week? I made up your old room for the kids and figured you could sleep in my bed. I don't sleep much. You know me, what would I do if it weren't for keeping up with the times through infomercials? By the way I'll send you some of that jewelry cleaner I got. It was cheaper if I bought gallon. Heavens what was I thinking? I only own two rings and a couple of necklaces. She looks down at her wedding ring and starts to cry. She holds the phone away from her. EDY (continuing) Sorry. I dropped the phone. So it'd be swell to see you next week. You take care. Oh by the way, I went through some of your stuff. I'm borrowing some of your old clothes. Well just the workout things from when you went through that fat stage and joined the gym for a month. Remember that? Your clothing cost more than the gym membership. (she laughs) I probably shouldn't have said that. Sorry. Anyway you don't need them so I'm using them. Ok? I think I'm going to become a jock. Why not get into shape, right? Ok. Well.. I guess I'll go. Call me. If you want, I know you're busy. She hangs up the phone. She stands unsure of what to do. She crosses to a well worn lounge chair and strokes the arm of it. She looks longingly as if there was a person in it. She quickly turns and crosses to a box labeled "Nancy clothes" and pulls out an ugly pink jogging suit. EDY (continuing) Now that's pink. EXT. STAIRS Edy dressed in her pink jogging suit does some toe-touches at the bottom of the stairs. She ties her shoes and makes sure to grab her water. She slowly climbs the stairs. More deliberate this time. More confident. Determined. She gets to the top of the stairs and jumps up and down like Rocky. EDY I did it I did it! Yes! She looks down the stairs. EDY (continuing) Uhg. She starts back down. As she passes one of the apartments/houses on the stairs she hear a mother and son fighting. MOM OF KID (O.S.) BARRY! Edy freezes. Panic then curiosity. MOM OF KID (O.S.) (continuing) Get back here! KID BARRY (O.S.) No! MOM OF KID (O.S.) Don't you tell me no young man. KID BARRY (O.S.) No!!!!!! He runs outside. Kid Barry is a cute kid of 13. He skinny and slightly gaunt as if he's been sick a lot, but currently is fine enough to scream at his Mother. KID BARRY It's stupid and I don't want to do it and I hate it and it's stupid. His Mom, an attractive woman with perfect hair, runs after him. She is not pleased. MOM OF KID Honey, you're the one who wants this. KID BARRY I change my mind. It's all stupid anyway. MOM OF KID It is stupid. You're right. It's stupid and purposeful-less and nothing. It's nothing. It's all nothing. You're nothing I'm nothing. History is nothing, school is nothing. And nothing actually matters but you still have to study. Kid runs inside pouting. Mom sits. EDY Parenting through Kiekagard? MOM OF KID What? Excuse me. EDY I sort of overheard your plight. MOM OF KID Did we bother you? I'm so sorry. EDY No, No of course not. I had a similar conversation with my Nancy a few decades ago. MOM OF KID He's a bright kid... EDY He just doesn't apply himself? MOM OF KID No, he does, he just gets...I don't know and I'm the worst teacher ever. I try to help but I even get the dates wrong. I mean. What the hell is the Magna Carter and who gives a shit when it was signed? Right? Kid comes running back out. KID BARRY See? I knew it. I knew it didn't matter. I knew you were just making me do this for nothing. EDY Well it matters a great deal. They look at her. EDY (continuing) The Magna Carter was signed in 1215. Originally called "Article of the Barons" it was revised to replace "any baron" with the words "any free man." A very important change. An unpopular king, King John, needed cash to support his war in France. Having this "power of the purse," Parliament, the people of England, forced him to sign an agreement stating he couldn't do whatever he pleased to his people. He had to protect them and put their best interest first. He owed them his throne and his sovereignty, his purpose was to his people. KID BARRY And... Both are confused. EDY Well, you argue with your mother because she takes care of you and insomuch you argue to have a say in how you are treated. If your Mother had no regard for you she could do whatever she wanted. Take all your money, slave you out to a work camp, force you to wear plaid.... but now we have a signed document that says no. People matter and are not expendable. A very important step in democracy and equality. And a little over 500 years later do you know who said "we the people" will have our government of by and for the people? KID BARRY We did. MOM OF KID Wow. KID BARRY Why was King John such a jerk. EDY A jerk! That's putting it mildly. He spitefully taxed the people for wars to regain lands he lost to Phillip II of France! MOM OF KID You're a teacher? EDY Almost 30 years. History and English. The most evil subjects of all! KID BARRY You're telling me. MOM OF KID Barry has his final in a month...we were looking for a tutor... EDY Barry.... KID BARRY What? EDY You need a tutor? MOM OF KID We don't have a lot of money.. But I'm sure we can work something out. EDY We'll work something out. MOM OF KID Great. Tomorrow? Is that too soon? He only has a month to learn everything. EDY Everything? I doubt he has to learn everything. Tomorrow will be fine. 2? MOM OF KID Great. KID BARRY Is anyone going to ask me? MOM OF KID No. Edy bends down. EDY Do you want me to tutor you. KID BARRY Well I want to pass. If I pass, we go to Disney World. Not LAND! Mom rolls her eyes. MOM OF KID I know I know. EDY Well then? KID BARRY Are you any good? EDY When was the Magna Carter signed? KID BARRY 1215. AH! You're hired... EDY Edy. You may call me Edy. INT. EDY'S HOME. Edy is looking through her books. She is creating a big pile on the floor. She finally finds her teacher's history book. She opens it. She leafs through it. It is highlighted. Noted. Dog eared. She smells it. EDY Not like science huh Barry? History doesn't change. It's always a mess. She puts her pile of books in the corner and stands in her next jogging suit. She passes the mirror in the entrance hallway and doesn't notice that her reflection is not hers. It is a reflection of a corpse. It's Edy but the hair is longer and her face decaying. She puts on her running jacket and off she goes, none the wiser.