A short drama written by Dustin Kahia, featured on the Six-Page Scripts podcast.

1. MONDAY MOURNING
Written by
Dustin Kahia

2. INT. BEDROOM - MORNING
MUFFLED EXTERIOR SOUNDS of an URBAN SETTING. A beautiful
black suit hangs on a lone window as daylight leaks through.
Cheap furniture. Faded bed sheets. Analog TV and VHS player.
The hands of a man lay a black neck tie against a shirt on
the bed. Arm slides through the sleeve of the suit jacket.
Buttons. Knots a tie.
A bureau: some spare change, car keys, plane ticket, bottle.
His youthful hands tremble into a drawer and pull out a shot
glass. Pours from the bottle to the brim. Lifts the shot,
spilling a bit.
KNOCK. KNOCK.
After a beat, the door opens. DANIEL stands in front of the
bureau with his back to a woman, MAGGIE, in a black dress.
His reflection is barely visible in the mirror, frozen in
time with the shot glass half-raised.
MAGGIE
Mom’s in the car.
Daniel stands for a beat, silent.
MAGGIE (CONT'D)
Daniel.
DANIEL
(beat)
I’ll be down in a minute.
Knocks back his shot. Maggie shuts the door behind her.
Daniel gives himself a long, hard look in the mirror before
averting his eyes.
After a moment, he digs through his drawer again and pulls
out an old VHS tape. Reads a handwritten label on: JUNE 19,
2003.
MOMENTS LATER
The old tape slides into the VHS player. The all too familiar
blue screen appears before flickering.
Daniel’s head sinks for a moment until he hears the home
movie playing and the VOICE OF THE CAMERAMAN speaking...

3. 2.
DAD (V.O.)
Hi, Daniel.
YOUNG DANIEL (V.O.)
Hi, Dad.
DAD (V.O.)
Look who graduated from 8th grade!
Big man now! Next year, you’ll be
the big man on campus.
YOUNG DANIEL (V.O.)
Haha, Dad.
DAD (V.O.)
All joking aside, I’m very proud of
you, son. This isn’t just a small
achievement... at least not in my
eyes. It’s a big thing, a great
thing. You set your mind to
something and you did it. And I
always want you to remember that
where ever you go in life.
Daniel’s head sinks again. After a beat. Daniel exits as the
video continues playing in the background.
INT/EXT. VEHICLE - MORNING
Daniel sits in the back seat, staring out the window at the
passing downtown San Diego skyline. Maggie looks at Daniel in
the rear view. Their MOM sits silently in the passenger seat,
also dressed in all black.
INT/EXT. CATHEDRAL - MORNING
Daniel paces alone in the narthex: the lobby area located at
the west end of the nave. Maggie approaches him.
MAGGIE
They’ll be here any minute.
Daniel doesn’t say a word. His face guilt-ridden.
MAGGIE (CONT'D)
Do you want to talk about it?
DANIEL
Talk about what?
MAGGIE
Anything.
2.

4. 3.
DANIEL
There’s nothing to talk about.
MAGGIE
You’ve barely spoken to me in the
past five days. I know you. You’re
terrible at hiding your emotions.
DANIEL
Nobody said I was trying to.
MAGGIE
(beat)
Is this about Mark?
DANIEL
No.
MAGGIE
Because if it is--
DANIEL
(partially true)
It’s not.
Maggie analyzes him for a beat, then--
MAGGIE
I don’t buy it. This is about me.
DANIEL
No, it’s not. It’s beside the
point. We’re getting--
MAGGIE
Yeah, I made a mistake--
DANIEL
Sidetracked.
MAGGIE
Because I can take care of my--
DANIEL
It’s not about you.
MAGGIE
Myself. So, if you would just--
DANIEL
(raises voice)
It’s not about you.
3.

5. 4.
MAGGIE
Just get over it--
DANIEL (CONT'D)
It’s not about you. It’s not
about you! It’s not about
you!
Maggie falls silent. Daniel stares for a beat, heartbroken.
MAGGIE (CONT'D)
Tell me what’s going on.
Daniel stares for a beat. Maggie is visibly eager for a
response. Daniel exhales.
DANIEL
This has nothing to do with you. Or
Mark. Or that whole stupid
situation. It’s not even on topic.
MAGGIE
Then, what is it? What’s bothering
you?
DANIEL
(as if she should know)
Come on.
MAGGIE
You’re speaking in code.
DANIEL
I’m guilty.
MAGGIE
You’re momentarily depressive.
DANIEL
I’m the prodigal son.
MAGGIE
This is temporary. This will pass.
DANIEL
Nobody forced me to make those
decisions. I did. I made them. I
chose to leave.
MAGGIE
You chose to come back.
DANIEL
After the fact?
MAGGIE
Just forget--
4.

6. 5.
DANIEL
HE’S DEAD, MAGGIE! DON’T YOU GET
THAT?
Realization sinks for Maggie.
MAGGIE
(tentative)
I get it.
DANIEL
No, you don’t. And how could you?
You were there the entire time... I
wasn’t.
MAGGIE
He still loved you, you know.
DANIEL
A whole year went by... and I
wasn’t there. And my hubris, I
thought I knew better.
MAGGIE
You were in denial--we all were--
DANIEL
Out partying with my friends,
having the time of my life, while
my father was...
Daniel shakes his head, staring at the ground. A beat.
DANIEL (CONT'D)
I honestly thought he was going to
get better.
His eyes wry with palpable sadness. After a long beat, Maggie
steps in to hug her brother. He breaks down as the SOUND
FADES. Brother and sister stand alone, embracing.
INT. HOME - MORNING
A lifeless home, once filled with laughter and joy, the
REVERARATION of which can still be heard.
Kitchen. Living Room. Staircase. ALL EMPTY.
Down a familiar hallway, a familiar SOUND is heard: the
VOICES OF A FATHER AND SON. Past a the door of Daniel’s
bedroom, the VHS tape still plays on the TV.
5.

7. 6.
On the TV, YOUNG DANIEL plays catch with his DAD outside. Dad
lobs the ball up high for Young Daniel...
DAD (V.O.)
(imitating a sports
announcer)
And the ball goes deep, deep down
to center field... AND DANIEL MAKES
THE CATCH! AND THE CROWD GOES WILD!
Dad imitates the SOUND OF A WILD BASEBALL CROWD with his
hands in the air as he skips toward Young Daniel.
YOUNG DANIEL (V.O.)
I love you, Dad.
DAD (V.O.)
Me too, buddy, always.
Young Daniel hugs Dad.
YOUNG MAGGIE (O.S.)
I wanna play--I wanna play.
YOUNG MAGGIE, four-years-old, runs over to Young Daniel and
Dad. Dad scoops her in his arms.
DAD (V.O.)
Maggie, my girl!
She giggles.
DAD (V.O.)
Let’s go check on dinner with
mommy. I hear she’s cooking
something real nice.
YOUNG MAGGIE (V.O.)
Mmmhmm... Come on, Daniel.
FADE OUT.
THE END
6.