Eryn is a 16-year-old girl who struggles with vivid dreams and lack of sleep. One night, she dreams that robbers break into her house and steal a ring from her windowsill. The next morning, on her birthday, her mother gives her a present containing the same ring from her dream. Unsure if it was just a dream or reality, Eryn is left perplexed, questioning if her dreams may in fact be more than just dreams.

1. “CONSCIOUS”
By
Josie Waddington
Parsonage Barn Lane
Ringwood
Hampshire
BH24 1SE
01425 475000
sixthform.admin@ringwood.hants.sch.uk

2. 2
Words appear on screen:
LUCID DREAM: “A lucid dream is a dream
during which one is aware that one is
dreaming. During a lucid dream, one may
gain some amount of control over the dream
characters, narrative, and environment.”
FADE IN:
SCENE 1:INT. ERYN’S ROOM. EARLY EVENING.
ERYN MILLER, 15, sits on her bed deep in thought. She is
dressed up in make-up and a pretty dress, yet the bags
beneath her eyes are visible.
ERYN (V.O)
Sometimes it feels like my eyelids are
waves. Pulling away from the shore only to
be sucked back onto the sand. Or like
biceps, rippling under weights tied to my
eyelashes crumbling back to black. Or like
magnets, you get the idea.
ERYN glances at the time on her phone. 10:58.
(CONT)
Time at this time goes much quicker, when
I’m watching the clock. Oh I wish I could
skip it, cut my life in two, I would do it
in a heartbeat! No more visions or dreams,
no more 10 kilo bags under my eyes, they
look like those craters on the moon now,
except probably deeper and-
A voice interrupts her thoughts.
ERYN’S MUM
(shouts)
ERYN? ARE YOU GETTING READY FOR BED?
Heels are heard approaching the door. ERYN quickly rolls
off her bed. ERYN’S MUM pokes her head around the door.
(CONT)
DARLING?

3. 3
ERYN
I’m doing it.
She wipes a cotton pad harshly over her eyes in the mirror
and traces her under eye gently, staring.
ERYN’S MUM
It’s getting later and later Eryn, it’s
not healthy.
ERYN doesn’t respond as she continues to look at her
reflection, entranced.
(CONT)
Come on darling, I want you asleep by 11.
You don’t want to be tired for tomorrow.
ERYN snaps out of it and wipes the rest of her face
quickly. She throws her cotton pad and it lands next
to the bin where many others lie. She takes some
pajamas out from under her pillow.
ERYN
I will be Mum I always am, it doesn’t make
a difference how early I try.
ERYN’S MUM
(sighs)
Goodnight my little 15 year old, that’s
the last time I’ll be able to say that!
Her voice trails off as she turns off the light and walks
down the hall. She stops at the bottom of the stairs and
shakes her head.
ERYN rolls her eyes and lies back on her pillows, looking
up at the ceiling. Her eyes begin to close.
ERYN (V.O)
(Fades out)
Please, please, please…

4. 4
(CUT TO)
SCENE 2: EXT. ERYN’S DOORSTEP.
ROBBER #1’S eyes open from his balaclava clad face and he
looks to his right to ROBBER #2 in an identical get up.
ROBBER #2 nods and montage of the robbers trying to find a
way in ensues.
ROBBER #2 tests a window and it pushes open slightly. They
enter through the window and creep into the hall.
CUT TO:
At the sound of the window opening, shot cuts to ERYN
opening her eyes in bed with a shocked expression. She
looks to the side and stares back at the ceiling breathing
heavily.
CUT TO:
ROBBER #2
(Mouths to Robber #1)
This way…
ROBBER #2 points to ERYN’S bedroom door and ROBBER #1
follows his arm. They creep to the door and ROBBER #1 gets
ready to open it.
CUT TO:
SCENE 3: INT. ERYNS ROOM.DIMLY LIT FROM BEDSIDE LAMP.
As the door opens ERYN turns over and the robbers creep
into her room. ROBBER #2 motions to ERYN’S shape under the
duvet and clasps his hands next to his head, showing that
she is asleep.
They then begin to search the room as ERYN listens
intently.
ERYN (V.O)
(Heavy breathing)
Here we are again. At least I hope we are-
ROBBER #1 stubs his toe on the edge of the bed and grabs
his foot in pain.

5. 5
ROBBER #1
(Muffled moan)
Ahhhh-ha-ah-ah
ERYN frowns and tries to look round.
ERYN (V.O)
Oh God I don’t know! I need to see.
She closes her eyes tight, slows her breathing and turns
over, as if she was sleeping. The robbers freeze and stare
at her with worried expressions.
ROBBER #2
(Motioning wildly at Robber
#1 in a hushed tone)
Shut up! That was you and your ruddy toe
now shut up!
ROBBER #1
I think my toe is broken, I wacked it
straight onto this great metal bloody
bedpost!
ROBBER #2
I don’t care if your whole foot is hanging
off, keep your mouth shut! You could have
woken her.
ROBBER #1
You’re making more noise than me now-
ROBBER #2
I am not.
ROBBER #1
You definitely are-
Eryn snores and ROBBER #2 motions violently for silence
with a swift cut along his neck with his hand. ROBBER #1
stops and motions closing his mouth tightly.
CUT TO:

6. 6
ERYN holds her mouth tightly closed and breaths deeply,
keeping her eyes shut.
ERYN (V.O)
They’ve definitely just walked into my
bedpost.
She peeks out from the duvet quickly.
(CONT)
Yep, poor thing. I’ve done it a million
times.
ROBBER #1 stares down at his toe with a pained expression
as ROBBER #2 rolls his eyes.
(CONT)
Ugh, I can’t figure it out, how could they
be real? What are they here for?
ROBBER #2 ushers ROBBER #1 along and montage ensues as they
both begin to move items around the room, looking for
something.
ERYN watches with confusion.
ROBBER #2 draws back the curtain and a ring is sat on the
windowsill. His eyes widen, as do ROBBER #1’S and ERYN’S at
the sight of it.
ROBBER #2
This is it!
ERYN (V.O)
What is that?
ROBBER #1 swipes it out from under ROBBER #2’S gaze and
puts it in his pocket.
ROBBER #1
Let’s get out of here…
He turns and walks into the bedpost once again.
ROBBER #2
Watch out for the bed son!

7. 7
ROBBER #2 winces and limps out, followed by ROBBER #1.
ERYN lies in bed, her face confused and body paralyzed.
Once she hears the door slam she jumps out of bed and
stares at the empty windowsill. It is empty.
ERYN
That wasn’t mine...
She holds her head and suddenly feels dizzy as she sways
from side to side falling onto her bed.
(CONT)
(eyes closing)
That ring wasn’t mine.
SCENE 4: INT. ERYNS ROOM. SUN COMING THROUGH THE GAP IN THE
CURTAINS.
ERYN’S eyes slowly open and she sees the open curtains. She
hears the sound of a shrill happy birthday candle, one of
the ones that sings the song when it is lit, and boots
along the hallway.
ERYN’S MUM
(singing)
DARLING! IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY!
She bursts into the room and ERYN is still looking around,
perplexed.
(CONT)
Happy Birthday my beautiful Eryn! My
beautiful 16 year old-
She shoves a large tray with a cake, presents and various
breakfast items on, into ERYN’S lap.
ERYN
Mum, what happened? Is everything gone?
ERYN’S mum strokes her cheek gently and chuckles.

8. 8
ERYN’S MUM
I’m sure it’s just another dream darling,
forget it. Now open your presents!
ERYN casts her eyes down, still half asleep.
ERYN
(Muttering)
But it was so real…
ERYN’S MUM
(Pushing a present into
ERYN’S hands)
This one, open this one, I spent so long
choosing it!
ERYN takes the present and unwraps it slowly, smiling
slightly. She rips off the wrapping to expose a black box.
ERYN’S mum smiles largely.
ERYN
Here we go…
She opens the box to see the ring she had seen on her
windowsill the night before, sat in the box in front of
her. Her face goes wide and she gasps. The ring glints in
the sunlight of the open curtain.
ERYN’S MUM
Don’t you love it?!
FADE OUT.
THE END