Scene One:
Dad: Where is my Swiss Army Knife, honey?
Mom: Try in your son’s room!
(Dad found packs of drugs in Paul’s room while searching for the knife)
Paul: What the hell are you doing in my room? (Entering the room and asked with an irritated voice)
Dad: What’s this? (Held up the pack and questioned Paul)
Paul: Drugs, so what?
Dad: Drugs? Why can’t you learn something better than this? (Scolded loudly)
Paul: It’s none of your business! (Shouted at Dad)
Dad: I am you Dad and I have the right to discipline you! (Roared)
Paul: My dad? I just don’t give a damn! (With an expression of contempt)
(Paul snatched the drug and strode away)
Dad: You… (Flustered and exasperated)
(Dad walked to the mirror with a sense of loss, looking at himself in the mirror with despair)
Dad: How did all this happen? When did it turned out to be like this? (Hand leaning on a mirror)
??? : Do you want to know? (The ‘he’ in the mirror asking with the same gesture)
Dad: Who are you? (Voice trembling)
??? : Do you really want to know when all this happened? (Smiled treacherously)
Dad: What are you … (Stepped back and fell to the ground)
??? : I will show you. (Cracked a smile to the ears, eyes looked grim, talking in a slow but evil tone)
(The man in the mirror grabbed Dad and pulled him in)
Scene Two:
(Dad appeared in the mirror, look at what is happening in the mirror)
Memory One:
(A group of rogues stand around Paul)
Boss: Hey, some say that you got a rich home, huh? (With a domineering tone)
Paul: What… What are you doing? (His voice trembling and body huddling)
Boss: Nah. I’m on a budget; need to borrow some money from you. (Snapped his fingers)
Minion A: Hey boss, don’t waste time talking to this idiot, just beat him up. (Bumped his fists and speak vulgarly)
Minion B: Yeah, it’s no need to talk too much with this egghead. (Shook his feet and speaks with a cold voice)
Paul: Wait… Wait a second, you all want money, right? It’s all yours now, please don’t hurt me! (Handed out the money and protected his head with another hand)
Boss: Oh! I didn’t know that you are this smart! What’s your name? (Leaned forward and snapped the money away)
Paul: Pa…Paul… (Moved back with his hands)
(The Boss counted the money and tread Paul with his foot)
Boss: Well, Paul, I bet you have more than this, right?
(Stepped on Paul and frisked over him, found more money after that)
Boss: Ah ha, there it is. Well, people from downtown are just different from us, isn’t it? (Waved the handful of money)
Boss: Hey guys, it’s my treat today! Tell me whatever you want to have for dinner!
Minion A: It’s too easy to let him go, isn’t it, boss? (Said while kicking Paul)
Boss: Of course it is! Bros, let him know what would happen to a dishonest boy.
Minion C: Ha hah! Remember to give out all the money at once next time!
(Dad looked at Paul with a blank stare)
Dad: Paul, Paul? (Sound worried and anxious)
(The Minions gathered around to beat Paul while the boss stood aside and watched it to amusement)
Boss: OK, that’s enough for today; don’t waste so much time on such a dump head like this. Let’s go to the bar and have some fun!
(The gang left laughing and joking, leaving Paul crying, the boss called Paul’s name)
(Dad whispered Paul’s name)
Boss: Hey! Remember to bring some more next time! (Yelled)
(Paul’s Room [In the back of the mirror] [No character out])
Paul: Where the hell are my needles? Damn it! That old crank must have taken them.
Paul: Why the bloody hell is this mirror black? Argh!
(Paul staggered to appear on the other side of the mirror)
Paul: Why on earth are you here? (Asked Dad)
(Instead of answering, Dad looked at what happened in the mirror)
(Paul's attention has shifted to the scene in the mirror)
Memory Two:
(Paul and a female classmate went for a walk in the campus after school to chat)
Paul: That movie last night was so interesting!
The Girl: Yup! I really love the main actor.
(The same gang of rogues is hanging around near them)
Boss: Hey y’all! Isn’t that the idiot last time? Got any money?
Minion A: And there’s a tasty little chick beside him. How impressive!
(Some of the minions get close to them)
Paul: What are you doing? (Protecting the girl)
Minion C: Tut! Stop making a fuss; we’re just having a little “admiration” on this cute little chick. (Grabbed the girl)
The Girl: Do…don’t you ever get close to me! (Backed off, frightened)
(The boss grasped the girl from behind)
Boss: And she is really looking good! Folks! Hold him down!
(Two of the minions grabbed Paul)
Paul: What are you doing? Let go of me! (Struggled fiercely)
(The girl was pressed to the ground by the boss, sobbing)
Paul: Let her…
Minion B: Listen, (Cut in Paul’s words bluntly) you want to save her, or you?
(Paul stopped speaking out and put less effort in struggling)
Minion B: Brilliant. Don’t be sorry, whoever is altruistic don’t exist at all.
Minion D: It looks like you are a man of senses, as they always said so,” In for a penny, in for a pound.” Fun and fame is just a hand shake away. (Reached out)
(The Minions let go of Paul)
(Paul held out his hand and held it firmly with Minion D without saying other words)
(Looking at the scene, Paul broke down and cried. Dad tried hard to comfort him)
??? : You are no more than a pathetic jerk, aren’t you? (Sneered)
??? : A cowardly scum. (Smiled even more viciously)
Dad: How can you curse him like that? Isn’t it enough for he had suffered all this?
(Paul kept on crying)
??? : Oh? What makes you think that you are the only one to cry? It’s not you, I suppose. (Waved sideways)
(The image of the girl crying with her clothes ragged)
??? : Who’s to cry? Is it you, the selfish jerk who just stood aside and did nothing, or the poor girl who once recognized you as “an intimate companion”? (Revealed a sarcastic tone when mentioning “an intimate companion”)
(Paul looked up, blank)
(??? waved his hand again, showing how is the girl doing right now)
The Girl: Diana, why haven’t you gone home? (Squatted down and looked straightly at the child)
The Child: Mommy’s not here yet and it’s getting dark, I’m so scared… (Sobbed)
The Girl: That’s alright; I’ll stay here and wait until you mom arrives, OK? (Touched the kid’s head)
The Child: OK… (Wiped the tears off)
??? : She stood up right against adversity and soothed a lot of wounded souls. How about you? You just kept degrading yourself and caused more harm to others. Ha! What was a loser yesterday remains the same.
(The light darkened as??? laughed out loud)
(Behind the screen, Paul lay there still crying. Dad stood there absentminded for a while)
Dad: Take heart, Paul, everything’s alright. It’s all over. (Stand close to Paul, held Paul softly, speaking with a gentle voice)
Paul: It’s useless! I’m just a good-for-nothing! I fought, I took drugs, and I’ve already fallen! What I am now is just a jerk! A hopeless jerk! I just… (shouted with hysteria)
(Dad slapped Paul in the face, not being seen because of the white screen, but the sound is clear)
Dad: And then? To fall like this forever? Do you want her to see you like this? (Yelled at Paul) You don’t want things to end like this, do you?
Dad: Look at me. (Dad shook Paul’s shoulders. Paul looked at Dad with his head slightly raised up)
Dad: You still get words to say, right? I mean, to her.
Scene Three: (On the crowded streets)
(Paul, who is wearing a police uniform, is talking on the phone with Dad)
Paul: I’m not on duty today, Dad. I’ll get home a bit early today.
Dad: Alright. I will be waiting with Mom for you at the dinner table. By the way, how many bastards did you catch today?
Paul: Come on, Dad, they are not idiots, they just got nothing right in the left brain and nothing left in the right one. (Smiled)
Dad: Didn’t you get some sort of rewards or something? (Puzzled)
(The girl walked by Paul. Paul went blank for a few seconds and put down the phone)
Dad: Hello? Paul, are you listening? Hello?
(Paul followed behind the girl. His pace started to haste while words flashed over his mind)
‘To fall like this forever?’
‘You don’t want things to end like this, do you?’
‘You still get words to say, right? I mean, to her.’
(Paul managed to catch up with the girl and pat her on her shoulder. The girl turned a little and looked at Paul a little puzzled)
Paul: I’m sorry. (The girl looked confused)
Paul: I should have done something.
Paul: I really should have done something, but I didn’t. (The girl covered her face, and stood back a little)
Paul: I owe you my apologies and, at last, gratitude.
The Girl: For what? (Still covering her face, voice trembling)
Paul: For the strength which kept me from falling.
Paul: Thank you.
(The girl closed her eyes and put down her hand. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes again, looking straight at Paul)
The Girl: You’re welcome.
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