The document is a short story that follows a man who lives in a sparse apartment. His daily routine involves waking up, eating a sandwich, and obsessively pressing a red button that appears on surfaces around the room. As the button leads him on an escalating chase, pressing it starts to take a psychological toll. He eventually finds an identical apartment through a door, realizing there may be no escape from the button's control.

1. Button Basher
by
Gabriel Kelly
gabeskelly@gmail.com

2. Created using Celtx
INT. KITCHEN/LIVING ROOM - DAY
A young MAN, in a white shirt and black trousers, lies asleep
on a sofa in the bleak room. There is a clock, a hob, two
fridges, a table and a poster of a button that reads "Push
Yourself". A black tie rests over a hook next to the sofa and
a pair of black shoes lie on the floor below it.
The clock is blank, except the icon of a button at the top
and a sandwich at the bottom. The hands point to the button
and it chimes a dissonant alarm, waking the man. He sits up
and puts on the tie and shoes, before walking to the fridges.
He flicks his gaze between them decisively, then opens the
left one. Inside is a triangle cut sandwich, wrapped in cling
film. The man smiles as he picks it up and then looks in the
veg drawer, where there is a banana. His expression turns to
guilty contempt before he closes the fridge.
He walks to the table and sits on the stool next to it. He
places the sandwich carefully to one side and glances at the
clock, clearing his throat.
With a satisfying ding, a red button appears in front of the
man, on the table. Without hesitation, he hits it, causing it
to disappear. After a few seconds, the button appears again
in the same spot and vanishes as the man presses it. This
continues as the man gets into a rhythm.
INT. KITCHEN/LIVING ROOM - DAY (LATER)
The day light is darkening. The man now barely looks at the
button each time he hits it. It then appears slightly to the
right of its regular position causing the man to slap the
table. Mildly confused, he corrects his aim, hits the button
and holds his hand above the new spot. It reappears further
up, again causing the man to miss and retry.
The man puts his hand to his chin and watches the table. The
button continues appearing further and further along the
surface with the man now waiting patiently to see each new
position. Eventually the button appears on the underside of
the table. The man frowns and scans around for a second
before finding it. He seems extra pleased this time although
with a shadow of suspicion.
The clock arms point down to the sandwich icon and with
another ring. The button stops appearing and the man grins as
he reaches for his sandwich, sits on the sofa and tucks in.

3. 2.
Created using Celtx
INT. KITCHEN/LIVING ROOM - DAY
The button pings back in the centre of the table and wakes
the man. He grabs his tie, gets off the sofa and lunges
towards the fridges. He opens the fridge on the right while
shuffling his shoes on. Inside is a cling film wrapped
baguette sandwich that the man snatches, before he runs over
to the stool. He almost falls over. After tightening his tie,
he hurriedly takes his seat and hits the button. He breathes
a sigh of relief as he places the baguette carefully to one
side.
The button continues appearing and the man continues bashing.
With one attempt, he tries to press the button lightly with
his index finger, which bends from the button's resistance.
He pauses for a second, before bashing it down with a fist.
At this, he lets out a small closed mouth chuckle and carries
on bashing.
Eventually he begins experimenting with his presses:
forehand, backhand, coconut crack, behind the back, under the
leg, snake style etc. He tries headbutting it, but with
immediate regret, he rubs his forehead.
A door creaks. The man looks up, in a worried astonishment,
at the paned door in the corner, for the first time. It
slowly closes from being ajar. He goes to get up, but before
standing, the button appears again. He immediately turns back
to slap it, dropping any sign of having seen anything.
The man continues enjoying each bash, eventually going for a
karate chop. The button isn't there. The man slowly looks up
to the ceiling, where the button is poised directly above its
usual spot. He rolls his eyes as he gets up. He stands on his
stool and reaches for the button but is a few inches away, so
he gets back down. He looks around before grabbing his
sandwich and getting back onto the stool. Only just managing
to reach the button with the baguette, he pauses, pouts, then
smacks the button. He has to regain his balance as the button
vanishes from the ceiling.
As he slowly gets down, cradling his sandwich, the ding
sounds again. The man turns around, revealing the button on
top of an electric hob. Without thought, he hits the button,
causing a hob ring to light up. The man narrows his eyes
thoughtfully. The button then reappears, on a now red hot
hob. The man crosses his arms and sneers, before he turns off
the hob and blows the surface lightly and proudly. He presses
the button, but as it vanishes and he touches the surface,
the remaining heat burns his hand with a sizzle. The man
recoils in pain, blowing his charred finger tips.

4. 3.
Created using Celtx
Recovering, the man frowns with annoyance. The button appears
back on the table. Looking rather angry, the man smacks the
button hard. The man then fiercely bashes the button for the
next five or so times it appears.
After this outburst, he looks at his hand, now not only burnt
but bruised. He whimpers. The button then appears again, this
time on the lever of a tap behind the table. The man slowly
approaches the tap, raising an eyebrow. The man quickly hits
the button with his fingers, which turns the tap on. The man
is startled as water gushes from it. He pauses, looks at his
hand, then to the water. Putting his hand under the stream,
he lets out a relieved exhale and his frown fades.
The button appears with another ding. The man lifts his eyes
to the heavens with pessimistic anticipation before turning
around. It's is next to the clock which is seconds away from
striking sandwich. The man's face lightens as he rushes over
and hits the button. The clock sounds it's tone and the man
immediately launches at his baguette and digs in with a
contented grin.
INT. KITCHEN/LIVING ROOM - DAY
The man sits up on the sofa, looking pleased with himself.
The clock shows It's just before button time. The man
finishes tightening his tie and getting his shoes on, then
stands up. Looking at the two fridges, he seems to agree with
himself before opening the one on the left. He pulls out a
thick triangle cut, double decker, doorstop egg mayonnaise
sandwich and releases a toothy grin. He walks to his stool,
brushes the seat with his hand and sits. He places the
sandwich very carefully to one side.
The button rings, but it sounds muffled. The man looks mildly
concerned as he scans the room just turning his head. The
button cannot be seen.
SERIES OF SHOTS - THE MAN SEARCHING
A) He looks up at the spot on the ceiling, where it appeared
previously, but it's not there.
B) He looks under the table, but there's no button.
C) He looks in the sink; it's empty
D) The man searches the cupboards, pulling out unbranded food
boxes and tins.
E) He peers into the microwave looking worried.

5. 4.
Created using Celtx
F) He looks deep into the bin - there's just rubbish.
G) He lifts the poster to look, but nothing.
He scans the fridges from top to bottom but there is only a
slight mark where the sandwiches appear. In one of them the
man looks down to the veg draw and his face brightens as he
sees a red circle through the misty plastic. He opens the
draw in which is a singular tomato and his excited smile is
shut down by this revelation. He closes the fridge slowly,
staring at the blankness of the door as it shuts.
He jolts to attention and looks to the clock; button time is
nearly over. The man sits onto the sofa and puts his head in
his hands. He slowly lowers his arm and as he touches the
sofa, he brings his head up to look at it. Quickly, he then
scrambles to look down the sides of the sofa cushions and
pushes his hand down every possible nook around the seat of
the sofas. Nothing.
The man returns to sit with his head in hands, this time
letting out a quiet sob. The floor under the sofa is revealed
and beneath where the man sits, the button rings out again
but quietly and lights up slightly.
The man's face turns to surprise as he slowly gets down to
look under the sofa. When he sees the button, his expression
turns to annoyance. As he pushes the sofa from over the
button, he gets more worked up and as the button is revealed
he looks at it angrily. In a fluster of rage he stamps on the
button with his foot but his anger fades immediately and is
replaced by guilt. The man slowly lifts his foot, and looks
regretfully at where the button was. The button dings again.
As the man turns to the table, his sorrowful look morphs into
an appalled grimace. The button is on his sandwich. The man
walks over. He tries moving the sandwich from under the
button, but it is firmly attached. He tries picking up just
the button, but the sandwich follows. He tries shaking the
button off, but it doesn't budge.
With the sandwich in one hand, the man tries pushing the
button lightly with his index finger, but the force is not
enough. He lets out a small cry then places the sandwich
slowly down on the table. He covers his eyes with one hand
and raises the other above the button. After a long
hesitation, the man smacks down onto the button and his
beautiful sandwich, which sends all of the slushy egg mayo
right out of it's bread casing and some onto the table,
through the plastic wrap. The button disappears as normal and
the man looks at his eggs covered palm in disdain.

6. 5.
Created using Celtx
The clock strikes sandwich and lets out its discordant groan
but the man reacts with a sharp and aggressive look towards
it. He grabs it and hurls it onto the floor, causing it to
let out a last dying chime that grinds to a crackle and
stops.
The man breathes heavily for a second before scrunching up
his face nearly crying. After a few seconds the button
appears again in the centre of the table, but this time
making a lifeless click on appearance. The man looks at it
stunned. He slowly lifts his hand to press it but stops. He
looks at the smashed clock. For the second time, the mans
lifts his eyes to the door. He lowers his arm and walks
towards the door. The man slowly reaches for the handle and
walks through.
INT. HALLWAY - DAY
The man steps into a long empty hallway with doors either
side and one at the far end. Next to the furthest door is a
another paned door. Out of the glass shines a metallic blue
light. The man walks slowly down the hall, looking at each
door as he passes. The man leads with his ear and squints his
eyes, listening for sounds. He stops at the paned door and
looks through the window before he slowly pushes it open.
INT. KITCHEN/LIVING ROOM 2 - DAY
The man peers into what looks to be an identical
kitchen/living room. There is a clock, a hob, two sofas, two
fridges, a microwave, lots of cupboards, a table and a
poster. A slightly older PERSON sits at the table. He wears a
shirt and tie with black trousers and shoes. The person
suddenly looks up at the man, looking bewildered. After a
short pause, the person goes to speak, but is interrupted
when a red button appears in front of him, on the table. The
person quickly turns back to the table and hits the button,
letting out a pleased laugh as he does. The man stares at the
person as they continue to bash the button as if the man
wasn't there. After a while the man slowly steps back out of
the room.
INT. HALLWAY - DAY
The man allows the paned door to slowly close before he lets
out a held breath. He turns to the single door at the end of
the hallway and tries the handle. It's locked. The man looks
down to the side of the door. There is a button on a bracket
that reads "PUSH TO EXIT". The man stares at the button for a
second. He steps back and looks at the centre of the door.

7. 6.
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CUT TO BLACK.
THE END
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