Black Dot

INT. OFFICE SPACE - DAY

John Hash, Mid 20's, Male, sits at his desk. He types in a speedy, well-practiced manner, repeating the same tempo and rhythm over and over again.

John looks out his window. His typing stops.

John goes back to typing at his computer. Strings of code fill the screen as he types without making any errors or going back to check his work.

HIGHHEELS TAP their way towards Johns desk. John never turns to look at Cynthia.

CYNTHIA (OS) You okay, John? You look depressed.

JOHN I'm fine, thanks.

CYNTHIA (OS) We'll need that set of coding by the end of your shift.

He mistypes and his rhythm falters. One can tell he's a bit aggravated.

JOHN Got it.

Cynthia's HIGH-HEELED FOOTSTEPS RECEDE. John looks at his section of coding for a second. There's a mistake.

John sighs and leans back in his chair before he looks to his left. On the wall to his left is a large calendar, and on that calendar are days of the week leading up to a weekend.

All the days of the week have been "X'ed" save for the weekend which has a large circle around it.

In that circle are the words "3 DAYS OFF!"

He looks back at his work, sighs again, then dives into his work.

JOHN Two more hours, John. Two more hours.

He deletes the mistake, CRACKS his fingers, and then places his fingers on the keyboard to find his rhythm.

He begins typing again.

INT. OFFICE SPACE - DAY

Sometime later, John finishes typing. He sighs with depth.

John stands by a printer/copier, printing a bunch of papers.

Above him, a clock strikes the hour. John stares at it with a blank look.

INT. OFFICE CAFETERIA - DAY

John sits at a table, food untouched on a plate in front of him. He talks with SARA, his girlfriend, aged 20-30, who sits across from him. She wears something in red.

SARA I don't know, John, you don't sound too excited for this weekend.

John becomes testy.

JOHN I am excited. This is me excited.

SARA You want to talk about it?

JOHN Its just... Do you ever get the feeling that everything is the same, and nothing is unique and interesting?

SARA Yeah. It's called depression.

JOHN No, that's not what this is, look you know what? Never-mind. It's not important.

SARA It is important. Tell me? Come on, I want to understand.

JOHN Its just... Why does everybody wear the same clothing? Shirts, hats, shoes, underwear. We dress it up in ribbons and colors and pretend its unique, but it's not.

John pulls out a bottle of pills and pops one in his mouth. He takes a sip of his drink to wash it down. He's not very interested in his food. He pushes his plate away.

SARA What are you saying, John?

JOHN I don't know, Sara. I don't know what I'm saying.

SARA So... let me get this straight, nobody is unique, we all wear the same clothes... Nothing is special?

JOHN Basically. Yeah.

SARA And... that's not depression, how?

JOHN Okay, you know what, you're right. Look, I got to go. Call me later, I've got to head home.

John begins walking away from Sara.

SARA Okay... Drive safe! I love you!

He calls over his shoulder

JOHN Love you too!

He sighs and stares at the ceiling as he walks.

JOHN Square ceiling panels, square, cubicles, square city blocks... Square people.

MONTAGE: CITY STREETS, CROWDS WALKING

The montage ends on -

EXT. PSYCHOLOGY OFFICE - DAY

People walk past the doors of an office building.

INT. PSYCHOLOGY OFFICE

John sits across from DR. LINDA MAYHEW, who wears very THICK GLASSES, and some red article of clothing.

DR. LINDA You feel depressed, John? About what happened when you were a kid?

JOHN I am NOT depressed.

DR. LINDA Why do you say that?

John sighs heavily.

JOHN Look, depression is... a heavy weight on your chest that makes you not want to get up in the morning. Depression is feeling like a burden to the people around you. It's not sadness, it's just... I don't know, heavy. And I do not feel that way.

DR. LINDA How do you feel?

JOHN Angry. I don't know. Lost, maybe. Frustrated.

DR. LINDA Why do you feel that way?

JOHN Do you ever get the feeling that everything is the same? That nothing is unique? No matter how we dress it up. That everyone seems to be medicating to hide from that?

DR. LINDA Never.

JOHN That's why I feel angry.

DR. LINDA Because you don't feel special?

JOHN No, I am angry because everybody seems to think everyone is special and different and unique. And I don't get that.

DR. LINDA You don't want to be special?

JOHN No.

Dr. Linda puts aside her notepad and squares up with John.

DR. LINDA What DO you want, John?

JOHN I don't know. But not this- this special snowflake bullshit I keep hearing.

DR. LINDA Do you want to be happy?

JOHN Everyone wants to be happy. I don't know. Maybe I just want to be right.

DR. LINDA To be right?

JOHN Yeah. To be acknowledged for it, too, I guess.

DR. LINDA Why?

JOHN Because then I won't feel so goddamn lonely all the time.

Dr. Linda nods her head and makes a few notes.

DR. LINDA I'm gonna put you on a new medication and take you off the old stuff. I don't think it's helping.

JOHN What's the new stuff for?

DR. LINDA It's an antidepressant.

John rubs his temples in frustration.

DR. LINDA John, its temporary. Just to see if it helps. If there's no good news, then we'll try something else. Alright?

JOHN Fine. Whatever. Time's up, I've got to go.

DR. LINDA So you don't want to talk about your father?

John snorts, derisively.

Dr. Linda holds out a prescription scribbled on a piece of paper.

DR. LINDA Give this to the secretary on your way out.

JOHN Yeah.

John snatches the paper and leaves.